A New Family
by YamiReigen
Summary: What if...When you had climbed to the top of Mt. Ebott, you never tripped? What if...Instead...You jumped?...And surviving the fall turned the world your world completely upside-down? (First Undertake fic, and I'm pretty sure "out of character" is gonna apply here) Rated for the warning and a little bit of language. Warning: Talk of abuse (no major details though)
1. Skeletons in the Snow

**Author's Note: Before you start reading, I just want to point out I haven't written anything since "Angel of Darkness" so please forgive the poor writing. This is the first story I've been proud of in years, so I'd really appreciate being able to hold onto that joy for at least a little while. OH! And don't forget, this fic did come with a warning that there is talk of abuse! Anyways, hope you enjoy reading. Thanks For your time!  
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* * *

Everything hurts. Every part of you aches as you stumble into the frigged cold, away from the ruins behind you. A quiet sigh escapes your lips as you look back at the large purple and black door one last time. You didn't want to leave her, she was the nicest person you had met in a painfully long time, yet something told you that you had to move on. One day you'd come back for your mom, grinning from ear to ear with proof that you hadn't disappointed her, that you hadn't killed anyone...That your hands weren't covered in this thing called "Dust."

You finally turn away and begin your trek to wherever the path would take you, pulling your arms into your sweater in a meek attempt to keep warm. You trip over a large branch, silently cursing your luck as you force yourself up without removing your arms from your swear. You were going to be freezing now with a soaked sweater, you weren't going to speed up the process by getting your hands colder than they already were. Guess it's a good thing you were so used to falling when your arms weren't any help...

You find yourself looking back when a bridge is almost in sight. You're just starting to truly shiver from the cold when you hear something in the distance behind you. Honestly, you're hoping it went in any direction other than towards you, your body aching more at the thought of another unwanted fight. It was nice when they gave you a little bit of money in apology for attacking you, but it still didn't help the injuries that food and band-aids didn't heal. Save points didn't do any more than restore your health and mend your wounds just enough that the bleeding stops. Toriel had healed you earlier, but you didn't have the heart to tell her that it had done no more than a save and a bite of food. She had been trying to help you, and you had already made her feel bad when you told her whatever she was doing was making you dizzy. There was no reason to make her feel worse...Now you were just praying the sweater Toriel had given you as a farewell present didn't get destroyed.

It was funny...How she was so easy to trust...Maybe it's because she was so fluffy.

Once you finally come to the bridge, you had to wonder who thought a gate that didn't cover any part of the bridge was supposed to work...It couldn't even keep a bear out. "Human," a voice begins, your arms shooting back into your sleeves as a chill runs down your spine. Oh please no...Not another fight...You already ached so much, "Don't you know how to greet a new pal?" You slowly turn away before this new monster can continue, your eyes widening slightly at the sight of a skeleton standing before you. He's about four and a half foot tall, while you're stuck at four foot even, wearing a black basketball shorts and a blue hoodie with a white shirt under it...Wait a second...Was he seriously wearing slippers or was exhaustion finally catching up to you and you were hallucinating again? "You shake his hand," the skeleton finally continues with a grin, seeming as if he was caught in a stupor of his own for a moment.

You eye him warily for a mount, taking his hand and shaking it...Only to become completely confused in the next instant. Did...Did he just...Fart?

"Heheh," he laughs, "The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's always funny!" His grin was kind of like Toriel's...It was a bit contagious. You smile slightly as you wait for him to calm down, still not letting your guard down. Your soul hadn't yet appeared before you, but that didn't always mean you weren't heading into a battle soon.

Your...fight with Toriel...had taught you that much.

"I'm Sans, Sans the Skeleton," he continues on, pausing for a moment as he waits for your reply. You press your lips into a tight line as you debate whether or not to tell him. It hadn't happened with Toriel, but...People usually hated you once they learned who you were.

" _Demon child_."

You wince minutely at the memory before Sans continues on, seemingly under the impression you were shy. "Aw, no need to be shy kid," he grins again, "Hey, what does a skeleton use to listen to music?"

"...What?" You ask warily, watching Sans' grin widen at finally getting you to speak.

"A pair of earBONES," he replies, grin widening ever so slightly as you choke back a snort of amusement. That pun was just...horrible...but you still found yourself trying hard not to snicker at it. "Anyways, I'm supposed to be on watch for humans right now," he continues, pausing as you feel yourself paling, "But I've never really cared about that. My brother on the other hand, he's a human hunting FANATIC."

You can feel the color draining from your face, though you try to hide it by pulling your sweater up until only your eyes were peeking out. Sans however...took it a way you hadn't been expecting.

"Don't worry though," he states, reaching out for you until you reflexively flinch away, "Papyrus couldn't hurt a fly even if he tried. Here I'll show you." He makes a motion for you to go on ahead, seemingly aware that you didn't want him to touch you, and you comply...Keeping your head slightly turned so you can hear any movement he makes. "Hide behind that conveniently shaped lamp," he instructs, looking like he's trying not to laugh at some inside joke of his. Why did you have a feeling he was the reason there was a human shaped lamp in the middle of no where?

You hide behind the lamp just in time to see a second skeleton come marching into view. This one looked about six foot even with a white top, orange scarf, and orange gloves and boots...Part of you really wishing you had his gloves and boots. They'd be way too big but they looked warm...

"Sup, Bro?" Sans grins at the taller skeleton. Oh, so that's Papyrus then?...This was a trap wasn't it?

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP,' BROTHER!" Papyrus yelled, your head throbbing at the volume that you somehow knew was normal for him, "IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES!" Oh how you wanted to walk out and slam your hand over his mouth, your head was killing you and his voice was making it worse.

Why was your head hurting anyways? Maybe you hit it when you tripped...

"Staring at this lamp. It's really cool, wanna look?" he hear Sans speak up, your eyes widening as you realize you had missed part of the conversation. Was this a trick? Was he going to hand you over to his brother now?

"NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!" Papyrus snapped, stomping his foot childishly, "WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!? I WANT TO BE READY!" What would happen if you just walked out from behind this lamp right now? "THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE!"

Whoops...You really need to stop getting lost in your thoughts.

"RESPECT...RECOGNITION...I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, **FRIEND**? I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING," Papyrus continued. Your heart clenched.

"Hmm...Maybe this lamp will help you," Sans replied, and even though you couldn't see him you knew he was grinning.

Although...You seriously were tempted to turn yourself in now, but you had a promise to keep. You'd have to come back to help Papyrus later. From the way it sounds...He was just lonely...A lot like you. He had a strange "get friends quick" plan, but you had come up with some odd ideas here and there too. Only...Papyrus was actually trying to follow through on his plan while you had always talked yourself out it. You're brought back out of your thoughts as you hear Papyrus laughing and walking away. You did it again, didn't you? You really had to stop doing that...That was how that flower nearly killed you, because you got distracted with your thoughts.

"Hey kid, you okay?" Sans asks, and you find yourself falling back into the snow again in fright. When had he gotten in front of you? You give him a fake smile as you pick yourself up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," you tell him quietly, being a little taken aback by the expression he now wears. He's not buying for a second that you're fine...Did he and Toriel have some weird ability to know what people were actually thinking? Though, if he did...You had learned pretty quick that enough insisting and Toriel would leave it be. Sans would probably do the same.

"You need tibia going," Sans finally says, his grin back on his face, "Unless you want to sit through more of my hilarious jokes." You nod slightly, starting to walk past him until a tug on the edge of your sleeve stops you. Your blood runs cold as you instinctively look down at your chest...Okay, good...Your soul hadn't reacted. This wasn't an attack...

It was kind of nice to have a warning to when the attacks were going to happen now.

"Can you do me a favor?" Sans begins, taking his hand back once you were looking at him, "My brother's been kind of down lately...He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day." There went all your color again...Now he wanted you to turn yourself in?! "Don't worry, he's not dangerous," Sans continues quickly, and you barely catch the odd look that flashes on his face, "Even if he tries to be." You nod slowly, immediately trying to think of how to both let the taller skeleton find you...and how to get away. You didn't exactly know where all the escape routes were in this place. "Thanks a million, I'll be up ahead," he grins, walking off...towards the bridge? Maybe it was better for what was left of your sanity if you didn't question Sans' actions. He was even more confusing than Toriel...

It took you about a half hour to reach the next big clearing after Doggo had caught you off guard...Even with him freaking out you hadn't wanted to move.

You sighed as another shiver wracked your body, holding in a scream as you slipped on a patch of ice..and continued to slide until you landed in the snowdrift on the other side. You were getting so tired of snow. With this newest face-plant in the cold, you were barely able to contain the practically bone rattling shivers, but you had to keep going. Somewhere there had to be a place to at least hide from the wind, right? You couldn't go back and hide with Doggo. Even if he couldn't see you if you stood still, he was still freaking out because something that wasn't moving pet him.

You had just started to wonder if someone had ever tried giving the poor guy glasses when you finally came across the first puzzle, Sans and Papyrus just on the other side.

Sans was casting you a strange look whenever Papyrus wasn't looking, looking towards the path you were trying to reach whenever Papyrus would pause to look at him. He was planning something...Though you weren't sure what.

"I think the human has to be holding the orb," Sans finally spoke up, snickering slightly after his brother had electrocuted himself.

You had to discretely dig your elbow into a gash in your side to keep from laughing as Papyrus left a trail of footprints through the maze...He could have gone around it, this puzzle didn't take up the entire divide between the three of you. Papyrus sat the orb on your head, returning to the other side next to his brother. You walked across it easily, handing the orb back to Papyrus with a tilt of your head as he began saying how good you were at solving the puzzle.

This guy was making it damn near impossible for you to take him seriously...

Sans and Papyrus quickly go on ahead of you, though Sans pauses a moment to look back at you before he leaves. Just what is he planning exactly? You can only sigh as you continue on your way, wanting to scream when your soul appears before you and you're faced with a Snowdrake and an Icecap. You avoid most of their attacks, faking laughs for the Snowdrake and ignoring the Icecap's hat until they were both bored of fighting. By now, you want to fall to your knees and curl in on yourself from both the cold and the pain. You pull a band-aid out out of your bag, putting it on the cut about your right eye to stop it from bleeding. Not to mention...Until the cold fully sank in...It was one less wound that was screaming bloody murder that it was cold. Another two or three hours out in this and you knew you weren't going to make it...You already had the beginnings of a fever...You needed to find shelter.

You could have face-palmed when you found Sans and Papyrus again, a piece of paper lying between the three of you. Was he pulling your leg or something? Really? This was all the effort he was willing to put into helping his brother capture you? You glanced over the page for a minute, suddenly feeling like you were being handled with kid gloves as you continued over to them. Sans looked like he was ready to burst out laughing, though you could still see that strange look he had been giving you every time you met hidden beneath it.

"...Both?" you replied quietly as Papyrus dragged you into their conversation on whether junior scramble or word search was harder. You hadn't even told Toriel you could barely read, there was no way you were telling these two. Once again Papyrus goes on ahead, Sans instead staying and walking with you when you move past him.

You still don't trust him, but he won't move without you in front of him so it was keep going towards a possibility for warmth, or stand there having a stare off with a skeleton.

"Why are you following me?" You finally snap, reaching out for the glistening orb as you created another save.

"Keeping an eye socket out for you," he replies calmly, obviously not about to give you anymore explanation than that. He runs ahead of you a few minutes later, a click sounding in the distance before he returns to your side. You had seen the spikes go down and were already there when he caught up to you.

You nearly jumped out of your skin when he suddenly yanked you back. Before you could even react something was pulled down and over your head, your vision turning blue for a moment before bony fingers lifted your 'blindfold.' You were met with Sans' goofy grin as you finally looked down, realizing in surprise that he had put his hoodie on you. When had he even taken it off?...Maybe you had less time than you thought...If you weren't even noticing the sound of a zipper. He disappears again as you cross a small bridge, moving towards the next area when your soul appears before you again. Not another fight...

It baffles you when your soul retreats back into your chest though...The two dogs before you repeatedly calling you Sans as they spoke.

"You know...you could pet each other. Just because you're both dogs doesn't mean you can't give each other the same affection you get from others," you mumble as you go past them, forcing your numb legs to walk faster before the dog duo realize you're not Sans...They really needed to get their hoods shortened so they could see.

The next puzzle is simply you and Papyrus, the more noticeable fever making it easier for you to not laugh at his shock that you managed to turn two X's into O's. This time, Papyrus is the one to walk with you to the next puzzle. You don't entirely mind though...At least if you die next to him he can still capture and turn in your soul and get his wish. You grin a tiny bit when he explains that he got bored and made a puzzle in the shape of his face, obviously trying not to say he didn't know how to solve it and he got stuck. At least the spikes were blocking the entire path this time and not just a little bit of it.

You manage to turn all of the X's into O's again, stepping on the switch just before you fall over again. This time though...You don't land in the snow. Instead Papyrus is now holding onto your arm, keeping you from falling down.

" _Human, are you all right_?" he asks you quietly, causing you to blink in confusion for a few moments. Papyrus, this goofy...loud...orange...skeleton...had a quiet mode? Where the hell was that switch? You simply nod as you pull your arm away, continuing on and trying to ignore the look on Papyrus's face as you pulled your arm away. Great...He was starting to give you that same weird look Sans kept giving you.

It wasn't the look of a mother worried for her child like Toriel gave you, so what was it?

You actually felt relieved when Papyrus didn't even bother with the next puzzle. You were painfully close to passing out...You doubted you'd even make it to the next puzzle, but...you had to...Papyrus was having fun having someone go through his puzzles. You couldn't let him down...

Ugh...Why did you even care?

"Because he's lonely," you mutter to yourself as you continue on, pulling Sans' hoodie tighter around yourself. At least the hoodie was somehow stopping the attacks...and taking some of the chill off. Come to think of it, both Sans and Papyrus had finally walked on ahead of you. No wonder you didn't feel like your had eyes borrowing into the back of your head anymore.

You merely blinked as you looked at the green circles covering the puzzle before you. Had someone else been here already? Maybe Sans and Papyrus had...? No, you shake your head almost laughing at yourself, they wouldn't possibly do that...Right? Oh well, you'll find out later. Right now, your fever is in full swing and you still have puzzles to get through. You could last a little longer...You've done it before. Just finish the puzzles, and trudge to the spot least likely to have you found and battered by the cold. Sans could have his hoodie back when you woke up...But man was it hard to keep moving.

You have no idea how long you have walked by the time you feel the ground shift beneath your feet, a weak scream tearing past your lips as a gust of wind stings your battered form and you fall to your knees. You cling with what strength you have left to the rope you fell against, barely realizing that you're on a rope bridge. Your vision is finally starting to tinge black as you see the two skeletons on the other side of the bridge. When had they gotten there?...They're not even trying to hide that strange look anymore.

"K...Kid, stay awake," Sans stutters, slowly moving towards you across the bridge. You actually wanted to laugh right then, your vision slowly tinging darker and darker. Stay awake? You didn't really have a choice...You almost never slept...You were always happy when the darkness dragged you into its depths.

"STAY AWAKE!" he yells now, commanding as you feel a chill run down your back. Instantly, flashbacks of the last time...the reason you had fallen down here...play through your mind and fear takes control. You force yourself to move back, a red blur slowly entering your nearly gone vision. A fight? Now?! No no no no no! "Kid! Calm down! It's okay! Stop-" a voice calls, but it's distorted as your senses leave you. You try to force yourself back more, only able to see a blue blur moving towards you.

Then the ground leaves you...and with a final, blood curdling scream, darkness finally takes its hold on you.

* * *

When your senses finally start to return, the first thing you notice is that you feel as if you've been dropped into a volcano. You try to move as you slowly get your barrings, a feeling of something laid across your chest shooting you into reality. Your eyes shoot open as you force yourself to move, panic sending you into overdrive. You barely register yourself falling before you're stopped dead, your eyes moving to your soul as it's glowing a bright blue. You can't move anything other than your eyes now.

WHAT IS GOING ON?!

You look over as you notice another blue glow, seeing a hand outstretched as if it was grabbing something and just above it...A flaming blue eye.

"Kid, don't scare me like that," Sans sighs, slowly raising his glowing hand as you're pulled up by your soul with the motion.

"So this is what you wanted?" you grind out, every part of you screaming that you were in danger, "To weaken me until I was easy to capture?" "I told you kid, I don't have any interest in that," Sans continues, curling his index finger as you float back towards him. "We're not going to hurt you," he says gently, but with your soul not inside your chest, you don't feel very inclined to believe him...Even if you can't see the fight HUD.

Sans sighs as he takes hold of you, the blue glow fading as your soul disappears back into your chest once more. You try to struggle of out Sans' hold, but he holds you just tight enough that you can't do more than squirm, yet for some reason he doesn't do it tight enough to hurt you. He takes a deep breath when you finally stop squirming, your fever too bad for you to do anymore without risking losing whatever was in your stomach. He lays you back down on the bed, apparently having been lying next to you with his arm over your chest. He reaches over, a click letting light flood a small section of the room from the lamp you had been unable to see before.

Where were you?

"You gave us a pretty bad scare back there, kid," Sans began, reaching onto the table and wringing a rag out, "Thought Papyrus was never going to stop crying, thinking he had killed you."

Okay...Ouch...Right in the heart.

You didn't want to make anyone cry...you hated when people were upset over you. Being upset meant they cared...caring meant...well...Let's just say you were happy Toriel was the strongest thing in the Ruins. You gasped when you felt a cold cloth gently dab across your face before it was laid on your forehead.

"Just what happened to you?" Sans muttered, though you had a feeling he was talking to himself, "To not tell anyone about...all this." Ugh, you didn't have the energy to figure out a living puzzle.

Why the hell did Sans care?

You panic again when Sans grabs you under your arms, his hold quickly retreating as whatever ability he used before returns its grasp on your soul and you can no longer move.

"C...Calm down, kid," he stresses, "I just finished patching you up. You're going to open your wounds again. I was just trying to sit you up." You look over at him, still no where near completely trusting him...Let alone anything he was trying to get you to eat. He sets you up with his magic this time, reaching over to his nightstand as you see the bottle in his hand. "Flu," is all it reads, but it looks nothing like the flu medicine you had seen in stores before.

Sans glanced at you with another strange expression, different from the one that he had been using earlier as he poured some of 'medicine' into the bottle cap. For a moment, you think he'll just use his magic to force it down your throat, until he swallows the medicine himself. He pours another bottle cap full of the medicine, this time holding it out to you...Why was he doing this? If he wanted to he could force feed you whatever he chose to, you were too weak right now to fight it. Yet...

He was giving you the choice.

You sighed as you took the bottle cap from him, shakily tilting the bottle cap so the foul tasting liquid fell into your mouth. It was some effort, but you managed to choke it down. Ugh, it tasted worse than the last time you remembered being force to take medicine on the surface. Yet, this time when you looked at Sans you could actually recognize the look on his face. You had seen it on the faces of adults as their child did something to make them...proud. Sans was...proud of you...for taking the medicine? "You're weird," you mutter as you feel your eyes slowly starting to close.

"Yeah, well, I'm not the only one," Sans chuckles tiredly, leaning over you and pulling a blanket back over you. You could see him hesitating to actually reach for you again, and you could only sigh as you lifted your arms. Just this once...Only because you didn't want to sleep sitting up...Just this once you'd let him. He smiled again as he reached over, gripping you under your arms and tucking the blanket under your legs as he lifted you off the bed, gently laying you back down on the bed. He readjusted the blanket again once your eyes were almost completely shut, laying down next to you as he turns off the lamp. He doesn't put his arm around you this time, but somehow you had a feeling you'd wake up with him holding you again anyways.

" ** _Sans_?" Papyrus whispered, slowly opening his brother's door as the light from under the door crack vanished.**

 **"Kid's asleep," Sans replies quietly, looking over at his brother with a single glowing blue eye, "Their fever's gone down a bit...Wouldn't take the medicine until I took it first though."**

 **" _What...Are we going to do, brother_?" Papyrus wondered, his own eyes glowing orange in the dark. It was a power of his that he preferred not to use, but for conversations in the dark with his brother...It was a convenient way to see each other. **

" **I think..," Sans sighs as he tries to find the words, "It should be just me while the kid's awake. You could feel the fear radiating off of them from outside, right?"**

 **Papyrus nodded, rubbing his neck as he looked past his brother to the human, just barely illuminated by the blue glow of Sans' eye. " _Then I will keep watch and make sure Undyne does not find them_ ," Papyrus said resolutely. He couldn't help the gentle smile as he looked at his older brother, " _But do inform The Great Papyrus as soon as the human is well enough to continue our battle!_ "**

 **It was a joke, both brothers knew, but it still had it's desired effect.**

 **" _Bone_ head," Sans chuckled, turning away from his brother and slowly falling asleep next to the human. Papyrus merely grinned as he laid a cast away blanket, apparently abandoned when the human had awoke, over his brother and the human. He only looked back once before he left the room again, re-locking his brother's door with the key he had been given.**

 **This human...Just what had happened to them...That a single touch was terrifying to them?**

" _Die! Just die!"_

You jolt awake, grasping your chest and your head as you gasp for air. Again. Another nightmare. They were never going to stop, were they? You take a deep breath, tensing when you feel a hand come to gently rest on your back.

"It's just me, kid," Sans says quickly, apparently seeing you getting ready to whirl around and hit him. Honestly, you were tempted to, but you had promised your mother that you wouldn't hurt anyone. You keep your grip on your head as you watch Sans out the corner of your eye, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

You know...thinking about it...why didn't you feel like you were slowly being murdered by heat anymore? Your fevers never broke this fast, like, ever.

"You still have a fever," Sans speaks up, "But it's gone down significantly."

Whoa, okay, hold up. What the hell did significantly mean?

"A lot," Sans chuckles, "It means 'a lot.' A big change." Oh great, your confusion had shown on your face again, hadn't it? You gave an inaudible sigh as you watched Sans look through his closet, silently waiting for the mocking to start.

When it never comes, you're even more confused. Even Flowey had made fun of you for not knowing what "culmination" meant. Once again you sigh as Sans keeps digging through it closet. Man, Papyrus wasn't kidding about Sans having a sock collection. There was a virtual mountain of socks building up in the middle of the room, which by the time Sans DID stop his search, it basically was. Your lip twitched slightly when Sans finally emerged from the closet with a black hoodie that looked too small for him. Sock Mountain was about twice as tall as he was.

"Can you put this on?" Sans wonders, handing you the hoodie, "Your arms got the worst of it."

For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, you sighed, taking the hoodie and pulling it on. You hadn't even realized before now that the only thing covering your upper half was bandages. Then again, it had been dark, and Sans had been in your personal space. Speaking of which..."Aren't you going to shove more of that horrible stuff down my throat?"

"It's once a day," he replies, looking at his door as if he's debating something, "You don't need it again until later tonight...Might have to wake you up for it."

"Fine," you sigh, turning to stare at the wall now, "Just...Be prepared to get hit in the process." It was only fair to warn him...You lashed out at everyone that had ever tried to wake you up. It was a habit ingrained into who were by now.

You're jarred out of your thoughts as a jolt of pain shoots through your left leg, your startled cry gaining Sans' attention quickly. You don't even have time to protest as he invades your personal space yet again, pulling the blanket back and laying you flat as quickly and gently as he can. The pain's already passed, but he's looking over every bandage on you attentively, sighing and backing out of your space when he doesn't find anything. Damn...You hadn't even noticed your pants had been torn into short shorts. Then again, you hadn't been completely out from under the blanket once since you had woken up.

"What are you even looking for?" you wonder, finally bored of trying to find something to watch on the wall. Sans had returned to the closet the instant he knew you were okay. Wasn't your fault sitting in certain positions too long hurt your legs in more ways than one. You're answered with something black hitting you in your face, pulling it away as you realize it's a pair of sweat pants.

"Skeleton going in closet," Sans grins, climbing into his closet and closing the door.

You snort as you look at the pants, aware he wants you to try to change into them, but you don't even trust yourself to stand. You sigh as you work yourself out of the short shorts, only now becoming aware of exactly how much like a mummy you appeared. Every inch of you is covered in bandages...How many of these were old, scarring wounds still not completely healed?

Eh...It doesn't matter does it? You slide the pants all the way onto your legs before lifting yourself onto your knees and pulling them the rest of the way up. Wait...Why isn't this hurting anymore? Your knees always hurt when you put weight on them...

"Skeleton can come out of the closet now," you sigh, rolling your eyes as he comes out with a laugh.

If you survived long enough to keep your promise, you had to introduce Toriel to Sans. They both seemed to love the same stupid puns...only...Sans seemed to be able to see through when you were merely faking your laughs.

…

Okay, that's it...These bandages had to go. You had never liked the feel of them. You so rarely had them to use on your wounds they were just irritatingly constricting. You just...had to get Sans distracted long enough to get them all off. Thankfully...for once your body actually comes up with a helpful solution, your stomach growling loudly. You look over, seeing Sans' shoulders sag defeatedly.

"Your tele _bone_ is on the nightstand. Call if you need _anything_ , I already programmed my number into it," Sans sighs, smiling at his own pun, "I'm just going to get us food."

You nod, waving him off and trying to ignore the hurt look you saw flash across his face as he leaves the room. You roll your eyes as you hear a click, knowing you were just locked in the room. Honestly, you might be stubborn, but you were well aware you were in no condition to walk. You wait until his footsteps fade from your hearing to start undoing your bandages, starting with your legs.

Wh...What? The angry scars that covered your legs...They were all faded...No longer with the phantom aches that always accompanied touching them. Even the ones on your knees...One of your worst and most painful scars...There was no more pain. What...What did Sans do to you? H...How had he done this? Could...Could he have done this to all of your scars?

By the time Sans returns, you've unraveled all of your bandages, looking more like a mummy than you had before. He's alarmed by your appearance, barely keeping hold of the tray he had brought up, but...even through your bangs, you can tell he's checking to see if any of your fresher wounds were opened or if you had received a new wound.

"K...Kid?" he stutters, his eye flashing to life as he abandons the tray in the air when your body starts to shake, "Kid...Wh...What's wrong?"

"Why?" you croak out, tilting your head and looking up at him through the split in your bangs. You can't help it...You're crying tears of pure frustration, unable to understand why someone would help you so much...When you had done nothing for them.

For a moment, you think you're going to have to force yourself to explain further, even though your voice is failing you now. You can't stop crying...

"Because I could," Sans sighs, abandoning the earlier boundaries and climbing onto the bed, pulling you onto his lap and holding you close, "I don't know what happened before you came through that door, Kid, but no one deserves that. No one should be covered in as many scars as you, especially not a kid like you... _I don't even want to imagine the scars that I can't see_."

And just like that...

Your resolve shattered...

You wrapped your arms around Sans, bawling into his hoodie as he simply rubs soothing circles on your back, careful of the wounds he knows are there. Never...Not once in your life...Had anyone ever told you that you didn't deserve your scars, your wounds, everything that had happened to you. Now that someone had? You were bawling like the eleven year old you were into their chest, and they were letting you...without a single judging word.

Eventually you exhausted yourself, barely managing to keep enough energy to eat the food Sans had brought. He patiently explained how he had helped your older wounds as you ate, not even making fun of you when you had to ask what a word meant. Hey...You just bawled and drowned the guy's apparently ONLY hoodie in tears and snot, he deserved at least a little bit of information for it. He'd even said he'd get some books from the library to help you learn to read better.

But...back to the point...

Sans apparently practiced all three magics, but he was most effective in healing as he had gotten a lot of practice with Papyrus. A monster's ability to heal was also something that, in most cases, was hidden from others and the combat HUD because it made them targets. Targets to be taken to the capital to heal the monsters there, leaving no one that could heal the monsters outside of the capital. Sans had chuckled and reassured you that he wouldn't be going anywhere after you had clung to his arm upon hearing that. He had no plans on WORKING any time soon.

As bones were harder to heal than the "squishy" parts of the body, apart from the major organs, and early on his brother didn't tell him when he came home from training injured, Sans had gotten pretty good at mending old wounds. He couldn't make scars disappear completely, not without A LOT of healing sessions, but he could mend what made them still ache. Apparently in the case of your knees, the scars had been hiding bruises that never healed because of damage that had already been done and you constantly being on them at one point or another.

Once you had finished your food, and taken that horrible medicine again, Sans helped you lay down and covered you up again. You were asleep before he left to take the tray downstairs, but you woke up just long enough to see it was him when you felt the bed dip a short time later. He turned the lamp out just like last time, but this time he climbed under the blanket with you and pulled you to his chest.

So...This was what it was like to have someone care?

It felt...

Nice.

 **Sans' eyes shot open as he heard a quiet whimper, looking down at the child held protectively against his chest as his eye started to glow. A nightmare?**

 **"No...please...I didn't," the child whimpers, Sans slowly sitting up and pulling the child onto his lap.**

 **"Shhh, baby bones, I'm right here," he coos softly, petting their head as he tries to calm them without waking them.**

 **"I'm not a demon child! I'm not! I'm not! I'm...," they trail off, struggling in Sans' grasp. He can't leave them like this...**

 **He sighs as he uses his magic to gently grasp the kid's soul, just enough to restrain their movements, not to hurt them. "Kid!" he calls, shaking the child gently, "Kid, wake up!" They jolt awake, looking around frantically, and panicking when they see their soul 'under attack.' "Kid, it's okay. It's me, Sans," he soothes, releasing his hold on the kid as they seem to calm. He holds them close to his body, gently rocking them as they go back to sleep. "You're not alone," Sans whispers before the human is lost to the realm of sleep, silently praying the few words are enough to help them.**

" ** _Sans_?" Papyrus called gently, opening the door to his brother's room slowly. He knew better than to rush into his brother's room when his magic was washing under the door in waves of anger.**

 **"Pap," Sans growled quietly, turning to his brother as his eye burned brighter than usual, "When I find out who made this kid this way...Heads are gonna roll." Sans could tell from the way his brother's eyes darkened that, even if he didn't understand the situation, he agreed with him. There was one thing Papyrus knew without a shadow of a doubt, if his brother was pissed about it, there was damn good reason for it. "Go back to bed, Pap," Sans finally sighed as his eye returned to normal.**

 **" _Good night, Sans. Good night, human_ ," Papyrus smiled, waving as he left his brother to go back to sleep, not locking the door this time. He would go in and sleep with the pair if he had to to keep the human from having nightmares.**

The next morning, you're laying snug against Sans' chest completely confused. Normally, mornings started with trying to come down from the mini-heart attack your nightmares always give you. Today? You opened your eyes on your own time, looking up to see Sans' proudly grinning face. You faintly remember being woken up by him in the middle of night, but that was the only time. Did...Did you really sleep peacefully after that? It was too good to believe, and yet...not at the same time. You cling to him when he starts to sit up, pulling you up with him, both of you yawning as you try to rub the sleepers from your eyes.

"Wanna try walking?" he asks quietly, getting up from the bed and holding his hand out to you.

You stare at the appendage for a moment before you nod, taking his hand and sliding your legs over the edge of the bed. Trying to stand doesn't go as well as you had hoped, Sans catching and holding you up as your legs had instantly given out from under you. "Take your time," he hums, grinning a bit as he helps you steady yourself on your wobbly legs, "Even skeletons rattle their bones before they can walk." You snort slightly, shaking your head at Sans with a grin as you finally try to take the first for steps...You get about four before your legs give again. Sans tells you that's good enough for now, but you simply shake your head and continue forcing your legs to carry you.

You know how to do this, you've done it so many times before, you just have to keep pushing until your legs finally start to work like they're supposed to. You almost make it to the door before Sans seems to have enough and hoists you into the air, adjusting so he can hold you easily. "I could have-!" you start, not bothering to struggle in his hold this time.

"We're on the second floor," he explains patiently, "I'll find you a crutch when we get downstairs and you can trying walking again a little later...You don't have to push yourself anymore."

There's that look again...

"I give up," you groan as Sans carries you onto the landing, quickly starting his way downstairs, "What is with that face you keep making?"

"What face?" Sans wonders, pausing on the stairs, making that face again when you fake a pained wince.

"THAT face!" you yell, pointing at him as you continue, "That weird face you make whenever I get hurt or something! That face you've been making since we met! Even Papyrus was making that face after awhile!" Almost instantly, you regret asking, when you see the darkening expression on Sans' face...That kind of face almost always came before an attack.

"You...You don't know what someone worrying about you looks like?"

"Why would...anyone...be worried about me?" You barely get the sentence out before a series of crashes sounds from the kitchen.

Sans barely manages to keep his grip on you as you instantly start thrashing, no longer wanting to go downstairs. Crashing meant breaking, breaking meant fighting, fighting meant you were going to get hurt again. "K...Kid! Calm down!" Sans shouts in shock, holding you as still as he can, realization crossing his face for a moment, "Papyrus, get out here!"

Almost instantly, you still as you feel a foreign pair of arms wrap around you. " _Human! Human it is alright_!" Papyrus calls, his voice quiet but still louder than Sans, " _The Great Papyrus merely dropped his pasta_!"

"Okay, who are you and what happened to Papyrus?" you gawk suddenly, looking up at Papyrus as you dangle in his hold like a limp noodle, "MERELY DROPPED HIS PASTA?! The Papyrus I know would be acting like it was the end of the world!" Well it was true...One of the times he had stopped you from tripping, a container of spaghetti fell out of his pocket and he had acted like the world was falling apart...It had all still been safely in the container...

Within seconds, Sans is laughing so hard he's holding onto your sides, and Papyrus is grinning down at you like an idiot.

"What?" you wonder, now thoroughly confused as Papyrus sets you down, holding you under your arms so you don't fall over.

"Y...You've got'im pegged, baby bones," Sans laughed, finishing his decent down the stairs and ruffling your hair.

"Baby bones?" You question, tilting your head when Sans blushes...You didn't even know skeletons could blush, and it was amusing that his blush was blue...It kind of made you wonder if Papyrus turned orange when he blushed.

"IT'S WHAT LITTLE SKELETONS ARE CALLED!" Papyrus grins, taking your hand and Sans takes your other...his hoodie now hiding his face. "We can be your crutches for now, just to the couch," Sans says, turning just enough you can see his smile.

Your steps are still shaky, but you manage to make it to the couch without tripping, mostly thanks to your "crutches" holding you steady whenever your legs would try to give out from under you. Papyrus disappears back into the kitchen as Sans sits down next to you.

"How," Sans starts, sighing as he seems to brace himself for whatever is about to happen, "How long does it usually take...for you to walk again after being that banged up?"

"Three days," you reply without so much as a flinch, "I'm usually unconscious the entire first day. The second is spent trying to stand, and the third is spent forcing my legs to move until they go numb and it's not a problem anymore."

"Kid," Sans begins, his expression darkening once more, "How old are you?"

"Eleven," you shrug, inching away as Sans' eye begins to burn. You don't get far before you're pulled back to Sans, instantly getting caught in a bone crushing hug.

"S...Sans," you choke, "A...Air...Human...Need...Air." You gasp for air as Sans lets you go, his eye returning to normal as he's instantly looking you over to see if he hurt you. "I'm fine. I'm _fine_ ," you stress, shrieking with laughter when Sans' fingers brush your sides. He pauses for a moment before you see a scheming grin split his skull, and you're left shrieking with laughter as Sans starts 'attacking' your sides.

"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus laughs as we walks in on the two of you, Sans sitting up with a triumphant grin as he finally lets you catch you breath.

When had you even fallen over?

Papyrus grins as he hands you a bowl of soup once Sans helps you to sit up. You stare at it for a moment, mildly aware it's chicken noodle soup, but you can't help staring at it. "Still think we're trying to poison you, baby bones?" Sans sighs, causing your eyes to widen slightly.

"N..No!" you assure, shaking your head, "Just...Trying to figure out where the spaghetti obsessed orange skeleton I met is hiding...This impostor didn't shove him in a closet, right?" You had to grin as Papyrus began to ramble about how he was not, in fact, an impostor, and Sans was hugging his sides with laughter and he seemed to be the only one that the joke hadn't flown over their head. You quietly eat your soup as you watch Sans out the corner of you eye.

"Sans?" you wonder, watching him grab a set of keys off the table and head for the door.

"Oh...right," Sans mutters, his left eye becoming enveloped in blue fire again as you hear a door swing open. Seconds later, your cellphone lands next to you with a soft thump on the couch. "Just like last time, okay, baby bones?" he says calmly, though you know from his face he can see the fear you're trying not to let Papyrus see, "I got some things to do, but Papyrus will take care of you. Don't worry, he's too cool to let anything happen on his watch." You sigh as you nod, watching him leave and hearing the familiar click of the door's lock.

"Why's one door or the other always locked?" you mutter, feeling a little trapped every time it was.

" _Do you not like it, human_?" Papyrus wonders, using that calm, quiet voice that always makes you think he's possessed, " _It is a habit he learned when I was too young to go out on my own. Since it was just us, he would lock the house whenever he had somewhere to go, and it is something I learned from him. His room is only kept locked because he likes the privacy_."

"Oh...I guess he doesn't get that with me here," you murmur quietly, jumping slightly as Papyrus grips you by your chin and makes you look up at him.

"NOW SEE HERE, HUMAN! MY BROTHER IS VERY HAPPY HAVING YOU HERE! I HAVE NOT SEEN HIM PUT THIS MUCH EFFORT INTO SOMETHING SINCE I WAS A BABY BONES MYSELF. NOW, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HAVE NO MORE TEARS, OR MUST I SUBJECT YOU TO THE TICKLE ATTACK ONCE MORE!?" he shouted, and you couldn't stop the goofy grin that made your face ache.

"There's Pap-pap," you grinned, frowning instantly when you noticed Papyrus starting to crying, "P...Papyrus?"

"HUMAN!"

You squealed as you were suddenly lifted from the couch and spun in a circle, Papyrus laughing without a care in world. He stopped slowly, holding you close to his chest and nuzzling your head happily. "CALL ME PAP-PAP ALL YOU WANT, TINY HUMAN!" he grinned.

"I'm not THAT small," you pouted, well aware that compared to Papyrus you were about the size of an ant.

" _NYEH HEH HEH~! NYEH HEH HEH~!_ " You're not even sure how Papyrus kept a hold of you when you screamed and tried to get away from his pocket.

"WORRY NOT TINY HUMAN! IT IT MERELY THE GREAT PAPYRUS'S ALARM SAYING IT IS TIME FOR HIS FAVORITE SHOW!" Papyrus grinned, sitting down on the couch with you on his lap as you suddenly realized your soup should have been all over the floor.

"How?" you wondered as Papyrus handed your soup back to you, grinning from ear hole to ear hole.

" _EVEN THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS HIS SECRETS!_ " Papyrus grinned, one gloved finger pressed to the bone of his mouth as he sounded like a child trying and failing to keep a secret. You merely snickered as you both turned towards to TV, you weren't going to tell Papyrus, but it was the first time you had ever actually watched TV. Usually you just watched scenes loop across the screen in a store until they kicked you out.

[Five Hours Later...]

 **Sans sighed as he trudged inside the house, locking the door behind him and tossing the keys down next to his pet rock. Heh...He still had to introduce the kid to him. As he made his way to the couch, he smiled at the scene before him. Papyrus was still watching a new Mettaton episode, but the kid was cradled in his arms with a blanket wrapped around them.**

 **"How long?" he asked quietly, sitting down next to Papyrus and brushing the hair out of the kid's eyes.**

 **" _They fell asleep two hours in_ ," Papyrus grinned, briefly looking away from his favorite show to check on the human safely bundled up in his arms, " _They did eat lunch._ "**

 **"And not brunch or linner? Oh my heart," Sans joked, grasping his hoodie where his soul rested inside his chest as if in pain, chuckling at his brother's disapproving glare.**

" **I talked to Undyne," Sans sighed as the show finally reached a commercial break. THAT got Papyrus's full attention.**

 **" _How did it...go_?" he wondered quietly, Sans not missing his little brother's hold tighten protectively around the human.**

 **"She'll wait in waterfall for us to...introduce...the kid," Sans sighs, running his hand down his face slowly, "But she refuses to lay down her spear until she can judge them herself."**

 **" _Sans, if she_ ,"Papyrus begins, nuzzling the human, unable to continue.**

 **"Don't worry Pap," Sans grins menacingly as his left eye blazes to life with his magic once more, "Anyone who even tries to hurt the kid, _is gonna have a bad time_."**

You whine quietly as you slowly start to wake up again, laughing to yourself as you realize you're now mushed between the two skeletons. As far as you could tell, they were both still sound asleep. Man...You loved it here...It was...It was almost like being back with Toriel.

Toriel...You heart clenched as you remembered why you had left the ruins in the first place. You've wasted so much time here, just waiting for your wounds to heal. You had to get moving again, somewhere to the east.

"Baby bones?" Sans wonders quietly, startling you slightly as you looked down at him. You hadn't meant to wake him up.

"You didn't wake me, kiddo," he chuckles, sitting up slowly so he didn't wake Papyrus, "What's up?"

"You...You told be before," you began, taking a deep breath as you tried to find the words, "The wounds like I have are easy to heal so...why did you only heal the old ones?"

"Can't say I wasn't expecting this," Sans sighs, rubbing his head as he seemed to be trying to find the simplest way to explain, "You know humans don't have magic, right? At least...Not anymore."

"Humans have determination," you told him, your brows furrowing as you tried to understand where he was going with this. Did humans used to actually know how to use magic before?

"Well, humans can hold a little bit of a monster's magic inside of them, because their soul reacts to our magic. That's why you've never see the battle HUD until now," he continues, "Monsters can use small bits of their magic to heal a human, but if they use too much on the human it can have the opposite effect. You were unconscious for a full week, baby bones. It took me three days to heal what I did, with the sessions no longer than five hours. The magic you absorbed from me took you an entire day to expel again. It would have taken less time if you had been exposed to magic all your life, but magic is more dangerous for a soul that's never been exposed to it before."

"Like a snake bite?" You wonder quietly, blushing a bit at the confused look Sans gives you, "O...On the surface...There p...people who have snake venom injected into them s...so that the next time they get b...bit it doesn't effect them as bad."

"Okay then, yeah, it's like a snake bite," Sans chuckles, ruffling your hair affectionately, "Your soul isn't used to magic so I had to watch how much I gave you., but if we worked on building your immunity to it, you could handle a lot of my magic with no problem."

"Just yours?" you wondered, tilting your head slightly.

"There are different types of snakes, right?" Sans smiled as you nodded, "Well, there are different types of magic too. Every monster has their own magic. Pap and I, though? Our magic is pretty similar, so if you got used to my magic, you'd be able to withstand a lot of his magic too. Not as much as mine, but close enough."

"Will you help me then?"

"Help you with what, baby bones?" he asks, and you can from his expression he's worried about where you're going with this.

"I made a promise to mom...to Toriel...The lady trapped inside the ruins, guarding the door I came through," you explain quietly, clenching the fabric over your heart as you spoke, "She doesn't know about it though, but...I have to get better. I have to keep moving towards the barrier...I promised I'd shatter it so she could leave the ruins, so she could be free from her loneliness. I HAVE to keep my promise."

"Alright, kiddo," Sans sighs, closing his eyes before opening one of them to look at you again, "On one condition."

"Wh...What?" you murmur, silently fearing he was about to crush your hopes.

"We go with you, Baby Bones. Me and Pap," he chuckles gently as your eyes widen, "What? You didn't think your mom was your only family, did you, Baby Bones?"

Was is possible for a human to short circuit?

"Kid? Kid?! Baby bones!" Sans yelled, waving his hands in front of your face frantically and waking Papyrus in the process as you simply stared dumbfoundedly at him. Then, another goofy, jaw aching grin split across your face as you cried, for the second time in your life, tears of joy.

"Frisk," you hiccuped between tears, "My name's Frisk."


	2. Piranha In The Water

It's been almost two weeks since Sans promised to help you get better, and since you had told the brothers your name. During those two weeks, you had been introduced to everyone in Snowdin. You and Monster Kid got along great, though you still didn't understand how he could use a cellphone. It was actually kind of nice, having someone that tripped with you the days you weren't reacting well to the magic. Sans had tried to get to you stay inside and rest, but you had been going stir crazy. The first time, Sans had been talking to Grillby and you were just starting to get a bad dizzy spell. You had tripped over your own legs while walking up with Monster Kid, and he fell right along with you...It had taken about three falls for you to realize he was doing it on purpose. Turned out he knew how embarrassing it could be, but he had gotten used to it when he was a lot younger.

Your magic tolerance had even improved! Although, you still fell asleep whenever you had taken too much magic. Sans said you'd get sick if you absorbed anymore magic after that, so you had both agreed that he wouldn't try anymore whenever you fell asleep. So far, things were going according to plan. Soon enough Papyrus would be able to start getting you used to his magic.

Speak of Papyrus...

He still called you "Tiny Human" or "Human" instead of Frisk, but you didn't really mind. "Frisk" was apparently reserved for when he was "Possessed Papyrus," otherwise known as when he was actually being serious. He wasn't the only one though, Sans was just the same. He preferred to call you kid, kiddo, or baby bones unless he was being completely serious. You loved his stupid puns, you loved that they let you call their home yours...You loved that you weren't traveling alone anymore.

Today you were walking through a placed called Waterfall, holding Sans and Papyrus's hands as you went. You were scared out of your wits, but having the pair with you took some of the edge off of things for you.

"Where are we going?" you ask as you came to a waterfall. Everyone was right when they said the king was horrible at names...

"To meet Undyne," Sans replies quietly, letting go of your hand as Papyrus picks you up.

"Who's Undy-" you start, pausing when you realize Papyrus is leaving behind Sans to carry you across the water, "Pap-pap, what about Sans?"

"What about me?" Sans grins, laughing as you scream and cling to Papyrus's head like a frightened cat.

"DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN! SANS IS VERY QUICK!" Papyrus grins, "BUT NOT AS QUICK AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

...You didn't have the heart to tell him you were pretty sure he was the slower brother.

It's about three hours later when the three of you come a metal walkway with stone pillars lining another pathway across the water to your left. Sans now kept his right arm around your shoulders, holding you close as Papyrus continues to walk ahead of the two of you. You can tell they're on edge, but you were still curious about something.

"So, you think that flower is still chanting; A tutor who tooted the flute, tried to tutor two tooters to toot, is it tougher to toot, or to tutor two tooters toot?" you grin, snickering as you were no longer near the flower and had FINALLY said it right.

"Pffft," Sans tried not to laugh, squeezing your shoulder as he grinned, "If it isn't we'll be sure to fix that." You nod as you can hear Papyrus still trying not to laugh.

Then the happy atmosphere disappears...And you're staring wide eyed at a spear mere inches from your face.

"Undyne!" Papyrus calls as Sans picks you up, teleporting over to his brother. So that's how he got around so quickly...You wrap your arms around his neck so you can watch behind him as he tightens his grip on you.

"I thought...y...you said...Sh...She wouldn't attack," you stutter quietly as you watch the water.

"I said I was hoping she wouldn't," Sans clarified as he laid his hand over your head, part of you realizing he was trying to cover as much of you as possible.

"I...I don't want to fight," you whisper, trying not to bury your face into Sans' hoodie.

"I know, baby bones," he soothes, "I know."

You scream as another spear almost hits you, Sans moving you both out of the way just in time.

"Undyne!" Sans calls this time, a familiar pulsing on your head telling you he's using his magic now.

"WHAT?!" a woman's voice calls this time, and you hide your face in Sans' hoodie now.

"Frisk!" another voice calls.

"M...Monster Kid? What...What are you doing here?" you stammer, moving just enough to see your friend standing next to a figure completely covered in armor.

"What do you think you're doing, Undyne?!" Sans snaps, gently turning your head away from the pair.

"It's not me!" the woman growls, her voice faltering as you think she saw you flinch, "Someone made off with two of my spears while I keeping the kid from falling!"

"S...Sans," you start, shaking his shoulder as you refuse to tear your eyes away from the hole in the metal dock, "There's a spear m...missing. Put me...Put me down."

You know he has no desire to let you go, but he does so reluctantly. He doesn't expect it when you run past Undyne and Monster kid, a spear shooting for you. It causes a gash in your side as you stagger slightly, but the look Sans is giving you know he understands what you're doing now. Monster Kid was too close, even with Undyne next to him, and the attacks here unpredictable. That's when the new elements to the fight begin. Missiles launch in your direction, but you can tell they'll only hit you if you move. What...What is the point to this?

Oh...

"Oh shit!" you scream, diving between two of the bombs and onto another section of the walk, "They're in the water!"

...

"Do ghost even need to breathe?" you suddenly mumble, looking back when you hear loud metal crashes.

Undyne's armor lays on the dock, Monster Kid now protectively in Papyrus's arms, but you don't see Undyne anywhere.

"Frisk!" Sans calls, and you barely suck in a breath of air before you crash through into the water. Then the spears are back, coming at you from above this time. You barely manage to twist to avoid a direct hit to your chest, but one of the spears tears through your right arm and drags you down deeper into the water.

" _Futile! Futile! Futile!_ " a voice shrieks from somewhere below you, and the air leaves your lungs as the other spear hits in your back. It doesn't pierce you clean through though, and you glance back to see an armor-less Undyne holding tightly to the spear.

She looks pissed...

She grabs your uninjured arm and rapidly swims for the surface just as your vision is starting to tinge black. You don't even notice her throw her spear back into the water as you cry out weakly when you hit against a metallic surface.

"S...Sans," you gasp between lungfuls of air, feeling a familiar pair of bony arms gently sit you up.

"Easy, baby bones," Sans soothes, turning your gaze back towards him when you try to look towards an orange and blue burst of light, "I gotcha, just breathe." You gasp as he presses his hands against your side and and back wounds, the gentle yet uncomfortable tingle telling you he was trying to mend your wounds.

"F...Frisk?" Monster Kid stutters, trembling in Papyrus's arms and he kneels next to you and Sans.

"I'm okay," you grin tiredly, "But why were you out here?"

"You...You said you wanted to meet Undyne," he sniffed, and you couldn't help grinning at him.

"How about you just come with us next time, stalker?" you tease, watching as he grins. Guess Undyne was the one he spent all his time rambling about. You had never once managed to remember his hero's name until now.

"Okay, baby bones, you're going to have to sleep it off again," Sans interrupts gently, his hand moving over to the wound on your arm. Ah...You're at your magic limit.

"Sleep sounds good," you yawn, nuzzling Sans' hoodie weakly, "Long as you and Pap-pap are here."

"Always, baby bones," Sans smiles, quickly healing the wound on your arm as you fall asleep.

" **Sans," Undyne sighed as she watched the smaller skeleton look down at the child for what seemed to be the hundredth time, "You said we had to talk."**

 **"After we're inside," Sans sighed as he continued to walk, Papyrus walking between him and Undyne. They had dropped Monster Kid off back at the entrance to Waterfall where his parents had been waiting for him thanks to a call from Undyne, and they were now all slowly walking back to Undyne's house. Frisk had only woken up once in the past few hours, and had scared the hell out of everyone when they did. Undyne had been walking Monster Kid across the strong current of the area's first waterfall when Frisk had woken up screaming bloody murder. It was only thanks to Sans and Papyrus being right there to smother the kid in a hug and whisper calming words to them that they had calmed down.**

 **The rushing water had made them think they were still in the last battle...**

" **So, what's the kid's name?" Undyne sighed, deciding she should at least try to hold a conversation with the pair.**

 **"Invent something," Sans snorted, he wasn't about to tell her when the kid had taken so long just to tell them.**

 **"Okay then," Undyne sighed, this was awkward, "What can you tell me about them?"**

 **"If YoU HuRt ThEm YoU'rE GoNnA HaVe A bAd TiMe," both brothers said calmly, and Undyne felt a chill run down her spine.**

 **Just what had happened to this kid to make Papyrus be willing to say that?**

 **She'd heard it from Sans enough times to know it meant he was protective about whoever they had been talking about, it was the threat he had given her when Papyrus had first started cooking lessons. Papyrus? He'd never once uttered that phrase until now.**

You whined quietly when you finally started coming to again, barely registering Sans' hoodie wrapped around you as you looked up at him. He was giving you that worried look again.

"And I thought Papyrus had the long face," you chuckled tiredly, smiling as Sans ruffles your hair with a chuckle.

"Morning, baby bones," he smiled, pulling both of you up into a sitting position so you could look around. You're still too tired to move on your own, but you do your best to keep yourself upright when you feel Sans lifting his hoodie to look at the bandages you could feel wrapped tightly around you. The wounds might have been healed to the point they wouldn't bleed, but there was still a chance of them opening again.

You spotted Papyrus out the corner of your eye, looking over and chuckling quietly as you saw him asleep against the door, his box of attacks sitting next to him. Undyne was wrapped up in a blanket sitting below the only window you saw, looking as if she had woken up when she heard you and Sans.

"Morning," you mutter quietly, nuzzling back into Sans in an attempt to hide.

"I'm not gonna hurt ya, small fry," Undyne sighed, watching as Sans wrapped his arms around you protectively, "There's no honor in fighting a kid."

For some reason, she seemed bothered when you let your relief show.

You still hated fighting.

"Mettaton! No!" Papyrus suddenly yelled, causing you to jump and instantly cling to Sans as he lurched forward and one of his bones flew forward, impaling the wall on the other side of the house.

"And that's why I don't let you bunk with Pap," Sans chuckled, petting your head as you slowly calmed down.

"Another Mettaton nightmare, Pap-Pap?" you wondered, watching the taller skeleton slowly get his barrings.

"O...OH, YES, TINY HUMAN, BUT DO NOT WORRY! THERE IS NO DREAM THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS CANNOT CONQUER!" "Beat," Sans replies automatically when you look up at him, both of you deciding to ignore Undyne's questioning stare.

"Hungry?" Sans chuckles as your stomach growls.

"Y...Yeah," you yawn, though you know the answer is obvious. He stands up, handing you over to a Papyrus you hadn't even realized had walked over as Sans walks over and starts raiding Undyne's kitchen. "S...Sans that's-" you begin to stutter, only to be cut off my Undyne herself.

"It's fine," she sighs as she walks over to you slowly, "He comes over with Papyrus for cooking lessons sometimes...Though this explains where he's been the last couple weeks."

"Oh...Sorry," you mumble, suddenly realizing that Papyrus had missed all of his cooking classes since Sans had started helping you build your tolerance to his magic. He had insisted he be there to protect both of you.

"Don't worry about it," she snorts, gently petting your head. This had to be hard for her...You could tell she was fighting every instinct in her body not to pick a fight and actually be gentle, but you could also tell she was trying to avoid a question.

"What?" you asked quietly, grasping Papyrus's scarf as you felt like you were walking on egg shells, "You look like you have a question."

"It's not important," she brushes off quickly, but for a brief moment you know she almost took the opportunity. She wasn't as impossible to understand as Sans, but she was still a puzzle to you.

She was built for fighting...yet she wasn't trying to...

Come to think of it, you haven't actually looked at her once since you met her. She was just a little shorter than Papyrus with blue scales covering every inch of her, her long red hair stuck out like a sore thumb against her blue skin, she had gills just like an actual fish, her ears looked like fins, and she had...really...sharp...looking...teeth. Her black tank top let you see that she was built...Not insanely built like the body builders you had seen sometimes, but built enough that you knew a hit from her was going to HURT.

"Something wrong, small fry?" she wondered, and you jumped, looking down and realizing you had been given your food.

"N...No, sorry," you stuttered, quickly starting to eat.

"Stop apologizing," she sighed, "You haven't done anything wrong!"

In hindsight, given the way the brothers treated you, you shouldn't have been surprised by her comment. Yet, as soon as the worlds left her mouth, you started choking on your food.

Papyrus patted your back as Sans looked ready to give you the Heimlich while you just held a hand in the air, gasping as your breathing finally came back under control.

"K..Kid, are you okay? I...I didn't mean to upset you," Undyne stuttered slightly, though you could tell from Sans' face he was trying HARD not to laugh. He knew the real reason you'd been caught so off guard, he just apparently found Undyne's awkwardness hilarious.

"You didn't upset me," you smile, feeling your fleeting energy steadily leaving you as Sans gently takes your food before you spill it, "I just...never...heard...any...one...say...that...before."

Hello, sleep? This is Frisk. If you stop interrupting my conversations, that'd be great...

" _Can't you do anything right!?" your mother scolds as she slaps you, your head whipping to the side with the force._

 _"Mom, please! I'm sorry!" you plead, not even raising your hands to defend yourself. It just made everything worse if you resisted...She'd get dad._

 _"Just clean this shit up and go do your fucking chores," she growled, grabbing you by your hair and throwing you into the pile of broken glass._

 _"What the hell is going on in here?"...Oh no...Dad was awake._

You scream as you jolt awake, clutching your chest as you're instantly crushed in a hug between Sans and Papyrus. The blue and orange glow in the room tells you their magic surfaced in shock, again, and you can see Undyne off to the side, looking ready to grab one of her spears.

"Don't touch it, Undyne," Sans says as calmly as he can, though you know he's holding back the tone he really wants to use, "Leave it and come here."

She nods, using her foot to push away her spear as she stands, holding her hands in the least threatening manner she can manage as she walks over.

You know what Sans is doing. He did the exact same thing the first time you had a nightmare with Papyrus in the room. It had been while you still stayed in Sans' room all day. You had been asleep with Sans, and Papyrus had just come in to drop food off when you had woken up screaming...You thought Papyrus was a threat...Sometimes it was hard for you to separate the nightmares from reality.

Once Undyne is close enough, he moves his hand until you're watching him, taking her hand and slowly moving it towards you until he sees you flinch. He stops, and you sigh quietly looking away so the side you dreamt was smacked is facing Undyne. You flinch again as you feel her scaled fingers touch your cheek, yet they're warm compared to the brothers' cold bones.. She doesn't move until you turn to face her slightly, and you mildly wonder if she understands what is going on now.

She gently cups your cheek, smiling as you look towards her more, and her hand moves to the top of your head as she smooths back your hair.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, small fry," she smiles, "I told you that, didn't I?"

"Undyne," Sans wonders quietly, rubbing soothing circles on your back, "You've dealt with something like this before?"

"Sort of," she replies bluntly, petting your head as you slowly calm down, "Alphys had nightmares for awhile when we were kids, she'd wake up thinking I was the monster from her nightmares most of the time...But it usually helped her to talk about them."

"N..No," your eyes widen, "I c...can't. N...Not yet."

"Shhh," Undyne hums, moving her hand so she can tilt your chin up to make you look at her, "Not now. On your own time, when you're ready."

"Th...Thanks," you sigh, finally calming down as you glance towards the sole clock in the room.

"DO NOT WORRY TINY HUMAN!" Papyrus suddenly yelled, "WE WERE ALREADY AWAKE!"

"You were?" you blinked, tilting your head a bit.

"Yeah, Alphys is having another anime marathon and is blowing up her UnderNet again. We were surprised you slept through three different cellphones going off," Undyne chuckles, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Under...Net?" you muttered, scratching your head slightly.

Que Undyne's shocked stagger into a wall, and Sans and Papyrus's twin face-palms.

"WE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN TO INTRODUCE THE TINY HUMAN TO THE GLORY OF THE MODERN PHONE!" Papyrus yelled, looking honestly embarrassed they had forgotten...Speaking of phones...

"Sans! The cell mom gave me!" you panicked as you turned towards him, groaning quietly as your side suddenly complained at your quick movement.

"Whoa, easy Baby Bones. I got it," Sans soothed, pulling your flip phone from his hoodie's left pocket and handing it back to you, "Remember? You gave it to me for safe keeping. Now come on, lemme see."

"Thanks," you smile, removing Sans' hoodie as you let him start to unravel your bandages. You had completely forgotten you were still wrapped up in his hoodie until he had reached into the pocket...

Guess you were still a little out of it.

You gasp quietly as Sans presses his left hand against the wound on your back.

"Cold?" he wonders as you feel his magic once again slowly start to mend your wound.

"Cold hands, warm heart," you chuckle quietly, grinning a bit as you see his face turn bright blue with a blush through a reflection on Undyne's spear. Apparently, she had no problem helping embarrass Sans, and it kind of made you wonder how many times he had embarrassed her before...She hadn't touched the spear until he had started blushing.

"I'm going to focus everything on this one today, okay?" Sans wonders as you nod slightly, he must be worried about the one on your back, "It was really close to your spine, I don't want to leave it be and find out I missed something important."

"Can I walk around after this?" you wonder, using Undyne's spear to see Sans' face again. At this point you're pretty sure she's literally holding it where she is for you to use it as a mirror.

"Sure, kid, but no pushing yourself this time," he sighs, smiling fondly as you feel his magic finally start to fade from your back.

Wow, he must really be worried.

It's Undyne who helps you up this time, Sans getting up and taking your hand as he helps you balance yourself, just like the last time. You always felt so off balance the first day you tried to actively move after an injury.

"It's fatigue," Undyne explains quietly, "You're body's tired from trying to heal itself so much."

"I THOUGHT THAT ONLY OCCURRED IN MONSTERS THAT USED TOO MUCH OF THEIR MAGIC?" Papyrus chimed in from the kitchen, you still had no idea what he was doing. "Possessed Papyrus" was cooking.

"It can happen in humans too, according to Asgore," Undyne sighed, "When the soul itself is damaged."

Okay, now you wanted to get in a fight with her just to prove your soul wasn't damaged.

"It doesn't have to...be physical damage."

"Undyne," Sans suddenly warns

...One of these days you were going to figure out how he could read you so easily

You merely sigh, jumping when Papyrus suddenly takes your hand and places something warm in it.

"Garlic bread?" Undyne chuckles, turning towards Papyrus with a demented grin, "You promised me the first piece you didn't burn!" Sans doesn't even give you a chance to tear your piece in two to share with Undyne, instead picking you up and moving to sit back down on the bed with you. He does, however, break a piece of the bread off and shove it into your mouth.

...It was a good thing the other two weren't paying attention.

The way Sans started snickering, you're pretty sure you were making a weird face. It didn't taste bad, but it was the first time you had ever had "garlic." Sans got up for only a moment to retrieve his own slice -much to Undyne's annoyance- before joining you on the bed again and pulling out his cellphone. He brought up his UnderNet page before he handed you the phone, letting you navigate through it with your free hand as you ate. Of course, he was next to you watching and making sure you didn't find the...Well...Sans called them "X Posts." When you had asked, a little louder than intended, what an X Post was...Let's just say all three of their faces lite up like a Christmas Tree.

…Turns out Papyrus did blush orange...and Undyne blushed purple...

 **[Three Hours Later]**

You sighed as you looked up at Undyne's determined glare, a spear just big enough for you in your hands. Sans and Papyrus had left to go back to Snowdin for supplies, leaving you with Undyne after an entire hour of making sure you were okay with it. In all truth...you weren't. Undyne was still an unknown factor, and you could tell she wasn't being herself with you. She acted too patient...too gentle with you compared to how she acted with Papyrus when they thought you weren't paying attention. The real her was loud, brash, and violent...but you haven't been able to tell if it's truly violent...or violent without the intention of actually hurting someone.

For now, her mask was up, and she was trying to get you to agree to a spar.

"Why? I don't WANT to fight," you sigh again, looking down at the spear. Undyne had broken and smoothed the end of one of her older, blunter spears so that it was easier for you to use.

"I'm not asking you to fight," Undyne grinned, "I just want to show you some simple blocks. With and without weapons."

Once again, all you can do is sigh as she begins to move through the motions, staying in each position until you're at least sort of mimicking her, explaining as she goes.

Basically, the two of you spend an hour cycling through basic spear blocks until Undyne has you try to do them on your own. She corrects your stance with every move, and you're starting to get annoyed with her patience.

"I don't get it!" you finally snap, "Why are you being so nice!? I've seen how you act with Papyrus! Why do you...Why do act so...so...FAKE with me?!" She blinks owlishly at you for a moment, before slamming both of her hands against the cave wall on either side of your head.

Shit...You had gotten so annoyed you forgot you were against a wall.

"Because you're scared shitless watching us, you punk," she growls, and you're silently wishing you actually knew where in Waterfall you were. "See?" she suddenly sighs, letting her head drop so you can't see her face, "You're still scared I'm going to hurt you, and I know you've heard Monster Kid's stories. He can be a little idiot at times. I don't hurt kids, it's worse than attacking an opponent who's back is turned. The humans before you? The ones from Monster Kid's stories? Their hands were gray with dust, they killed so many the only punishment that awaited them was death."

Okay, fear or no, you were not letting Undyne fall into that pit of guilt you practically lived in.

So...you hugged her...

When she grinned and wrapped her arms around you, hoisting you into the air, you realized it was the first time you had initiated contact with her. All the times before now, she had been the one to offer her hand before you would touch her...This time...This time she had made no such offer. Her arms had been to "trap" you...not to give you the choice between touching her or struggling yourself.

"You little punk," she grinned, kicking the long discarded spears up and grabbing them as she carried you back inside.

"S-" you started, only to have a scaly blue finger pressed to your lips.

"You apologize and we're having human soul for dinner," she grinned, laughing her ass off as you pulled your own version of Papyrus's 'just realized that was joke' face.

 **Sans sighed quietly as his portal vanished, he and Papyrus safely within Undyne's home. Everything had taken longer than expected, and he wasn't convinced Frisk was actually okay with being left alone with Undyne. That's when he saw something that, had it not been for the late hour, would have made him laugh until he passed out. Undyne and Frisk were sound asleep in her bed, completely covered in Undyne's manga collection except for their the upper half of their bodies.**

" **About time, punks," Undyne hissed quietly, one yellow eye watching them in the dark.**

 **" _Have you and the tiny human become friends_?" Papyrus wondered, eyes wide with excitement at the thought.**

 **"What's it look like, dumbass?" she growled, looking down and petting Frisk's head when they started to whine in their sleep, "They passed out about an hour ago." She grinned as she held up one of the brightly colored books with the world "Karneval" written on the cover. "Turns out the kid likes one of Alphys's favorites, even if they did need help with some of the words," Undyne chuckled a bit, glancing at the bag that Sans was still holding onto,"What's that?"**

 **"Clothes," he replied bluntly, "Took awhile to find something in the kid's size."**

" **Bullshit," Undyne laughed quietly, trying not to wake the kid snuggled against her, "You made those, didn't you? You and Papyrus."**

 **She grinned triumphantly as she received an embarrassed glare from Sans. He never liked to admit it, but he could sow an outfit from scratch if he had to. Raising Papyrus had made him learn, what with the younger always tearing something before they were able to afford to simply buy new, and Papyrus was steadily getting the hang of it himself. It was one of the few things Sans let his younger brother know he was better at. That's when she caught a glimpse of blue and orange. "A tracker spell?" she wondered, eyeing the spell sown into the fabric. Most monsters wouldn't be able to tell it was there, unless they had past experience with the spells.**

 **"Pap's idea," Sans chuckled as his brother made an indignant sound, "You know why."**

 **Undyne sighed as she nodded, petting the kid's head again as she watched them attentively. Letting this kid out of your sight was like sending a lamb to the slaughter. Sure, the kid had avoided lifting a finger against anyone, but they hadn't come out of the encounters unharmed. No matter how strong the kid was, there was only so much their body could take before it gave out, even with their determination. She had no idea what this kid was hoping to accomplish, but she'd be damned if they did it without her. This kid was a handful in more ways than one.**

You yawn as you slowly wake up, nuzzling something soft before you realize it's Sans' hoodie. You blush slightly as you hear him chuckle, dragging you with him as he sits up.

"Warm," you mutter, refusing to let go of your pillow as you debate whether or not to go back to sleep.

"If you don't let go you won't get your presents," Undyne teases from behind you, Sans pulling you onto his lap.

"Pap-pap," you whine, still tiredly clinging to Sans. Almost instantly, Papyrus is standing next to the bed and you and Sans are buried under a pile of clothes.

You hear Sans huff as the pile glows blue and floats above both of you, shaking his head with a chuckle as he sees you staring in shock.

"Pick something, baby bones, they're all yours." You stare at him for a long moment, shrieking in shock when a shirt is pulled over your head. It takes you a moment to get your arms free, sending Undyne a weak glare as you grab a black pair of slacks and go into the bathroom to change. You're hit in the face with another article of clothing the instant you come back out.

"IT IS QUITE COLD OUT TINY HUMAN!" Papyrus chimes happily from his place at the table.

You hold the article out in front of you for a moment, smiling as you get your first actual look at it. It's a hoodie, black like the one that had been torn by the dummy, but it has obvious differences. On each arm is a trail of bones, and on the back is a large dragon-like skull surrounded by two different colors. Left is blue while the right is orange, the two colors mixing and surrounding the skull like a blue and orange flame.

"OH MY STARS UNDYNE BROKE THE HUMAN!" Papyrus screams, the look of horror on his face telling you just what you were thinking.

You're grinning just like Undyne.

You laugh as you hug the hoodie for a moment, putting it on and giving everyone a hug.

"Not done yet," Undyne chuckles. She walks over to you, securing a leather sash-like-thing that went from your left shoulder to just under your right arm.

Then your vision turned orange, "Pap-pap!"

"NO PEEKING TINY HUMAN!" You could practically hear the grin in Papyrus's voice. Then something big was placed in your hands, and your 'blindfold' was taken away. You had to blink a few times when you realized what it was.

A shield.

Undyne had given you a shield...

It was just big enough that it could protect you, but still small and light enough that it wouldn't weigh you down or hinder your movements. It was round and the same shade of black as Undyne's armor, but the sharp edge on it had been filed down until it was no sharper than that of a butter knife.

"Th...Thank you," you said softly, still shocked that Undyne hadn't handed you a weapon like you had been expecting. She really did just want you to learn to block...

"Don't thank me, punk," she snorted with a roll of her eyes, taking the shield and strapping it to your back, "You need it." You would have laughed if it wasn't so true...

"So, you had somewhere you were trying to get to?" Sans finally spoke up, smiling as you snuggled into your hoodie. You frowned for a moment, tilting your head as you focused on that familiar, nagging pull. It was pulling in two directions now...

"There's...Something I have to do here?" you muttered, this had been so much easier when it was just one direction. Now you had to figure out exactly where the new pull was going.

"Whoa! Kid! Wait up!" Sans called, and you blinked, looking back.

When had you left the house?

"Tunnel vision much, small fry?"

* * *

 **[Two Hours Later...]**

Ugh, this was impossible. You've been staring at this wall for the past hour trying to figure out how exactly to get to the other side of it.

"TINY HUMAN, WHAT IS SO FASCINATING ABOUT THIS WALL?" Papyrus finally asked, he'd been staring at it the entire time like his spaghetti was trapped inside it and he was trying to get it out. Undyne had disappeared somewhere, saying she was going to see if Alphys could help. You STILL had no idea who Alphys was, but you were too focused on solving the problem that was a wall.

"I have no idea," you sigh, glancing over to see Sans happily pranking people into looking through his painted telescope, "But something's telling me I have to get on the other side."

Slowly, you start pressing against the wall, pressing against it every step or so as you go. You growl in annoyance as you see the room with the crystallized cheese ahead of you. About another two minutes and you and Papyrus will be there. Then, for a brief moment, you see numbers flash across your vision and you scream as you fall, landing on the ground with a "ooph."

"Sans? Papyrus?" You call out, looking around as you see no one in sight. No one to be found, but there's a door in front of you now.

WHAT just happened?

You look around once more as you stand, something telling you that you'll be right back in square one if you move away from the door. Welp, you haven't gotten this far ignoring that annoying ever present pull. You pull the shield from your back, holding it in front of you as you open the door and walk through. Everything is gray...Like it was the place the world forgot...but...There's a little bit of color...A lone figure standing in the room. He's watching you as though you couldn't see him, standing to his full height as you draw near him. This guy was taller than Papyrus...

"Who are you?" you wonder quietly, watching as shock crosses his face and he instantly starts to fade. "WAIT!" you scream, grabbing onto the pitch black robe he wore, "Please, who are you? I feel like you're important somehow."

He stops fading the instant you touch him, looking down at you with an expression you know all too well. Loneliness and pain, the only faces you wore until you fell into the Underground. You tilt your head from side to side for a moment, trying to find a way to get them to talk, it finally dawning on you that you were looking at a skeleton with a twice cracked skull. Well, whether this equaled Sans or Papyrus, any reaction was welcome at this point.

"Why are graveyards so noisy?" You question, silently praying for some kind of positive reaction as the figure tilts his head, "Because of all the coffin!"

Then you finally hear it...a laugh.

It's two toned and distorted, like whatever had brought you had a tight grip on this stranger. "As you wish, young one," he sighs defeatedly, as if he knows something you don't, "My name is W. D. Gaster."

"How'd you get here?" This couldn't be a nice place to hang out, it was so annoying just to find. "That is a tale for another time, young one," he sighs, gently making you let go of his cloak, "Now it is my turn for questions. How have you come to find this place?"

"Would you believe me if I said I fell through a door?" You grinned sheepishly, the look on his face saying that he very well did believe you.

"Child, do you know why you fell through?" he wondered quietly, looking you over as you felt a chill run down your spine.

"Not a clue," you reply bluntly, scratching your cheek slightly. Undyne was going to have your head when she found out you completely forgot to use your shield the instant you found a stranger.

"Your determination is fragile, unstable," he explains softly, chuckling when you give him a confused look. Your soul was fine. "Your soul is not as whole as you think it is," he explained patiently, which for some reason was still surprising to you, "Your soul is a reflection of you, both body and mind. If the body is fine, the soul itself appears unharmed. Yours, for instance, has a small cut where that wound in your side is. On the inside though, is were your determination lies. Yours is battered and torn, held together by thin threads of hope that you still cling to. That is how your came to enter here, how you came to create this...glitch. An injured soul can do many strange things."

Why did it not surprise you that things just had to get more complicated?

"Do not worry, young one," he suddenly smiles, "Your determination has already begun the slow process of healing, but it is not as simple as healing a bruise or...gash in one's side. You must continue to do as you have done thus far, learn to trust in others again."

"Well, you're one to talk," you snorted suddenly, "Telling me trust people when you try to run the instant someone talks to you." Your conversation is interrupted as you see a blue fire suddenly tear through one of the gray walls, your eyes widening as you see an out of breath Sans walk into the room.

"F...Finally," he gasps, walking up and grabbing your hand as he catches his breath, "Y...You scared the sh...shit out of me, baby bones."

"Gaster," Sans sighs when his breath finally returns to him, looking at the much taller skeleton with a burning blue eye, "Long time no see."

"You know Gaster?" you interrupt, tugging Sans' sleeve with your free hand, "Can you help me get him out of here?"

" **What**?" they ask in unison, and you sigh as you once again try to find the words you needed.

"I have this feeling we need to get him out of here, to help him get back," you try to explain, "I don't know why, but something is telling me I'm going to regret leaving him here."

"Kid," Sans sighs, now apparently struggling to find the words himself, "He can't go back. He no longer exists, he's been erased from the world."

"No, he hasn't," you snort, raising a brow at Sans, "You still remember him, and he's standing right there...He's just...In a forgotten room."

You started pressing against the wall again, only looking back at Sans for a moment when you feel him grab onto your sleeve, looking back again when your hand meets nothing but air. You found the 'glitch' again.

"Can't you go through here?" you wonder quietly as you look over at Gaster. He sighs quietly as he walks over, holding his hand out to the 'glitch' as it seems to hit something.

"A barrier?" Sans wonders quietly, and you have to bite your lip to avoid grinning. He's interested now. "That machine," Sans began, you could practically hear the wheels turning in his skull, "Did it lock you in here?"

"...In a sense," Gaster explained, "Do you remember we created it as a way to break through the barrier, to create a bridge between the Underground and the Surface?"

"Yeah, of course I remember. We turned it on and you shoved me to the ground and I blacked out," Sans replied, glancing to you with an apologetic look as you sat down to listen to them, "Almost no one remembered you when I woke up."

"Ah," Gaster mused quietly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully for a moment, "It would seem you do not retain all of your memories, old friend. Although, it is to be expected after you hit your head off the cabinet...When we first activated the machine, we had seen our first glance at stars, real stars, in centuries, but it was not to be. The barrier began to collapse in on itself, the entirety of the Underground was shaken, and our bridge began to collapse in on itself."

Gaster took a deep breath has he seemed to brace himself for the oncoming reaction, "You almost fell in, old friend. I grabbed you by your coat to pull you back, but there was another tremor just as you refound your balance and we both began to fall. Pushing you away and into the cabinet was all that I could do to save you from falling in, you still had Papyrus to raise."

"Then I," Sans began, covering his mouth as a look of horror crossed his face, "But the machine is irreparable now. I've tried, no matter what I try it doesn't work."

"What if the barrier's destroyed?" you finally speak up, you barely understood what these two were talking about, "I mean, it's like a cave in now, right? You blew a hole in the roof and it collapsed in on itself, and we're in an air hole in the rubble. Destroying the barrier would be the same as clearing the rubble, right?"

The pair looked at each other for a long moment before they both got a lost look in their eyes.

"Question, has this...Asgore ever ASKED a human for their help breaking the barrier?" You wonder, though you honestly didn't want to tell Sans how nervous you were.

"No," Sans frowns, "Undyne told you, all the humans before, their hands were covered in dust. They had practically turned gray from all the lives they took."

"Well, congratulations, you've kept the one weird human alive that's actually trying to let the Monsters out," you snorted, watching Gaster's eyes widen.

"You don't mean this whole time, you've been trying to," you could practically hear the pieces coming together in Gaster's head. "I've been trying to get to the king to ask him to help me break the barrier," you bit your lip as you slowly prepared yourself for the worst, "I get it...you know...if you don't want to help anymore."

Gaster looked ready to have a heart attack...

You yelp as you're suddenly crushed in a hug, your vision a wall of blue as Sans smothers you in a hug. "Don't even go there, baby bones," Sans scolds, though you can tell there's no heat behind it, "I'm not leaving you. You don't have do anything alone anymore. We're all here for you, _including_ Gaster." He slowly released you as you sniffled, both of you looking over as Gaster walked over to the two of you.

"I believe it is time to take the young one home," Gaster smiled, Sans picking you up before you can protest, "I shall be watching from the void."

You barely get a chance to wave goodbye before Sans has carried you through a portal and you're both surrounded by rapidly changing numbers and letters.

"Sans? Where are we?" you wonder as he looks around.

"We're in the void," Sans explains calmly, "It's a series of codes that make up the world."

"Is this how you get everywhere so much faster?" you question again.

"Heh, didn't think you had noticed," he chuckles, adjusting his hold on you and raising his left arm as a new portal began to tear open, "It's not as impressive as saving and loading or as...destructive...as resetting, but it has it's uses. Like getting me in and out of that room."

"What's reset mean anyways?" This had been bothering you since the first time you woke up in Toriel's house.

"To start at the beginning," Sans sighs, "For some reason it only works on the Underground, so if you were to use it, you'd probably end up wherever you were before you fell down Mt. Ebott and it would erase everyone's memories."

"Not touching that," you frown, clinging to Sans as you try to not think about what that button would mean, "Ever."

You swore you saw Sans grin wider than Undyne in that moment.


	3. Scrap Metal Stars

" **Sans? What happened? Is the kid okay?" Undyne bombarded Sans with questions the instant he came through one of his portals with an unconscious Frisk in his arms.**

 **"They're fine. They fell asleep on the way back," he explained calmly, though in all honestly he had cast a sleeping spell on the kid.**

 **Being within the world's code sometimes had residual effects on people who were conscious as they passed through, and he hadn't been willing to test and see if the kid would be able to pass through it normally like him. The fact the kid had been able to fall through a glitch was concerning enough as it was...Especially the way Gaster had reacted when the kid had begun to doubt them. Even the smallest exposure could be bad for the kid...**

" **We need to talk...Where's Pap?"**

" ** _What is it, brother_?" Papyrus wondered quietly as he sat down and the table with Undyne, eyeing his brother worriedly as Sans sat across from them.**

 **"I know where the kid is trying to go," Sans sighed,pulling a bottle of ketchup of his hoodie as he prepared himself for this conversation. This had to be done while the kid was asleep or it was going to run the risk of repeating the events of earlier.**

 **"WHERE?!" Undyne almost screamed, barely managing to contain her voice to that of a loud whisper.**

 **A moment to see the human still asleep...**

" **The kid's going to Asgore," Sans explained, taking a sip of ketchup as he watched their faces slowly turn from confusion to horror.**

 **"I thought you _didn't_ want them to die?!" Undyne hissed.**

 **" _But...why...surely Frisk knows_ ," Papyrus was having a harder time coping with the news, although Undyne seemed to be pretending she hadn't heard the kid's name, again.**

 **"They don't want to fight him," Sans explained patiently, "The kid was to ask him to help break the barrier, without the fighting and killing."**

 **"Doesn't breaking the barrier required magic, though?" Undyne frowned, she didn't like where this was going.**

" **It does," Sans continued, "But...the kid's different."**

 **" _Because they don't kill_?" Papyrus wondered, the humans had so far all been the same to him; although he would admit Frisk was notably different.**

 **"Because," Sans began, looking back to make sure Frisk was still sound asleep, "For not having been exposed to magic before, they can absorb an abnormally large amount of it."**

 **" _What do you mean_?" Papyrus wondered, Undyne leaning forward as she became more interested in the answer herself. "I've tried healing humans before, back when the experiments to try to replicate human souls were still going," Sans sighed, "Gashes like the kid got from the last fight...Even after all this time, I should have only been able to stop the bleeding on one before they couldn't take anymore magic. Humans' tolerance for magic has become so low they almost can't handle the most basic of spells without becoming deathly ill. Yet...the kid, after just a few weeks, can take enough magic into themselves for a severe wound to be healed...or a life threatening one to be mended enough for them to live."**

" **What aren't you telling us, Sans?" Undyne raised a brow, she could tell there was something else, even Papyrus looked as if he knew he wasn't being told something.**

 **"Humans aren't just suddenly born with a tolerance to magic," Sans sighed, taking a bit gulp of ketchup, "Humans first discovered magic because they were desperate...For a human to suddenly have such a high tolerance for it...They...They have to have tried it at some point themselves. True magic, like we use...not...not that fake stuff we've seen from some of the humans before."**

 **" _What...Are you getting at, brother_?" Papyrus asked cautiously.**

" **It means their determination almost shattered," Sans mumbled, just loud enough for the two before him to hear, "I didn't realize to what extent until today, when they told me and an old friend of mine they were going to see Asgore. Their determination wavered and part of the damage that had been undone almost returned. With the amount of damage done to their soul...I think..."**

 **"You think...?" Undyne pressed quietly, not fond of where this was going.**

 **"Their soul can go one of two ways," Sans sighed, there was going back now, "Their soul can either continue the way it has been so far, or...they could become the worst disaster to ever hit the Underground."**

 **" _N...No, they can't_ ," Papyrus muttered, his eyes wide in horror.**

" **Calm down, I don't think that's going to happen," Sans soothes quickly, once again checking that the kid was still asleep, he wasn't sure how much longer the spell was going to ward off their nightmares, "So long as we don't do anything to make them believe they've been betrayed."**

 **There was a long pause as they looked at each other, none of them knew what Frisk's true problem was for them to truly know how to avoid that.**

 **"I think though, once they're healed," Sans began again, "If we can keep them that way...We might be able to change tactics to trying to get the kid to summon and use their magic, something's already triggered it for us. Kid just doesn't have a clue it's there...It'll take longer than Monster Plan A, but I don't think anyone wants to follow that plan anymore."**

 **"If anyone even tries it I'll pound them into dust," Undyne suddenly snapped, the glowing eyes of the brothers telling her they felt the same. No one was going to hurt this child...**

 **Not anymore...**

You yawn as you finally start coming around again, rubbing your eyes as you slowly realized you were still being carried.

"FINALLY AWAKE, TINY HUMAN!?" Papyrus grinned down at you, hugging you tightly to his chest.

"Where are we?" you yawn, looking around as you realized it was WAY too warm for you to still be in Waterfall.

"The worst place in the Underground," Undyne mumbled, and you looked over to see her chugging down nearly a full bottle of water, "Hotlands."

"Is the King the only one that names things around here?" you muttered, looking around as you were trying to find the source of a strange sound.

"YUP!" Papyrus grinned happily.

"Hey kiddo," Sans began...

He was interrupted by a scream.

You found the source of the sound. Lava...You were all surrounded by lava.

"Whoa, baby bones, calm down," Sans called and you felt a familiar tug on your soul. Papyrus let go of you as you floated over to Sans, his magic not releasing you until you were securely on his back; he was giving you a piggy back ride. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he continued walking. "It's okay kiddo," he smiled as you hid your face in his hoodie, "The lava's not going to get you, I promise."

"Saaans," you groaned. Sometimes you really didn't know whether to laugh or smack Sans over the head.

"Hey Sans?" you wondered, finally having remembered something, "Weren't we supposed to work on healing the last wound today?"

"After we get somewhere cooler," Undyne groaned, squirting herself in the face with her water bottle.

"I THOUGHT YOU LIKED THE HEAT, UNDYNE?" Papyrus wondered, tilting his head at his friend.

"Not THIS hot," Undyne growled, marching just a little bit faster to get to wherever your destination was.

At least the pull was getting a little less annoying the closer you got to wherever you were going.

"Alphys! Open up!" Undyne yelled, banging on the door of a large white building.

Why...Did this place make you so uneasy?

"Just a moment, darling~!" a robotic voice called the other side of the door.

"Pap-pap," you mutter glancing over at Papyrus, "Was that...Mettaton?"

"YES! THE GREAT DOCTOR ALPHYS BUILT METTATON!" Papyrus grinned.

"Mettaton, the human hunting robot?" you stressed, hoping he would put two and two together before the door opened.

" _ **You're safe**_ ," all three of them state with finality.

You hid your face in San's hoodie again to hide the cheesy grin you know you're showing.

Unfortunately...It had a side effect.

The door opens to reveal the robot you're so used to only seeing on TV right as you're hiding your grin.

"Oh. My. Stars~!" it yells, and you're hoisted from Sans' back and rapidly spun in a circle, "Aren't you just the most adorable thing! Not as adorable as moi of course, but still."

"P...Papyrus!" you shriek, your anxiety spiking at being in the arms of an absolute stranger.

The instant you feel Mettaton abruptly stop and gloved hands pulling you away by your underarms, you twist and squirm until you can cling to the familiar form of the taller skeleton. You barely notice Sans releasing his hold on Mettaton as you reach out for him, taking his hand the instant he holds it out to you.

"Me-ta-ton," Undyne growls, raising one of her spears as the robot is instantly raising its arms in alarm.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, I got carried away!" Mettaton is instantly pleading, backing away as another new person begins walking into view.

"Alphys, stay there," Sans warns, the new figure stopping as Papyrus lets you down, not stopping you from moving to hide behind Sans.

"W-w-what h-h-h-happened?" the new person wonders, and you cling to Sans as a chill runs through your body.

Something wasn't right with them...

"Mettaton happened," Undyned growled, keeping the robot away with her spear.

Well...This tension was going no where fast. "U...Um," you stuttered, blushing as you tried to find the words, "M...Mettaton? W-what does...That...s-switch do?"

"Hm? What switch deary?" Mettaton wondered, still mindful to stay where they were to avoid Undyne impaling them.

"THE ONE ON YOUR BACK!" Papyrus chimed in helpfully, and you jumped slightly only just realizing he had moved behind you.

"Oh, that! I'm afraid it might I might scare you more than I already have if I show you, darling," Mettaton explained calmly, carefully pushing the end of Undyne's spear away from their monitor.

"OOOH!" Papyrus yelled from behind you. He must have just figured out what you were trying to do...You'd never admit it but you liked watching Mettaton's shows with Papyrus, but that switch on Mettaton's back always drove you up the wall. WHY was it there? Surely it wasn't some super convenient off switch? "UNDYNE, WOULD YOU DO THE HONORS?" Papyrus wondered sweetly, and you had to try not to laugh at his antics. Being between the two brothers always made you feel so much safer, and it helped when you were scared because one or both of them would start acting goofy to make you feel better. You had to admit though, you hadn't been prepared for the giant puff of smoke that followed Undyne flipping Mettaton's switch.

You still weren't exactly sure how she had gotten behind the robot...

Sans wrapped his arm around you as you faintly realized you had moved slightly further forward to see, holding you tighter when the smoke finally began to clear. Where there was once a strange gray, rectangular robot on one wheel there was now a humanoid robot with black hair, pale silver "skin," and their clothes were a mix of black and pink. Oddly enough...This form was a lot less terrifying for some reason. You barely noticed part of Mettaton's hair covered one side of their face until you finally looked them in the eye and saw their look of pure shocked confusion.

"Easier to read," Sans chuckled, waving his free hand over his face as you finally settled for merely clinging to his arm. Undyne seemed to understand what was happening as she finally moved so the only one whose progress she blocked was Alphys, although she still kept a close eye on the newly transformed robot. Mettaton seemed to take a moment to access the situation before...he...finally began to slowly walk towards you, stopping whenever you hid behind Sans' arm. He...at least didn't seem to want to hurt you.

When he finally deemed himself close enough, he sat down on the floor with his hands easily visible on his lap, and you slowly shifted your grip over to Papyrus. Truthfully, you still wanted hold onto Sans, but you had promised Papyrus you'd go with him if he ever found the chance to meet Mettaton in the bolts. He smiled down at you before he began to close the gap between the three of you, allowing you to hide behind him the closer your got.

"Hey punk," Undyne called, causing you to look over at her, barely managing to catch the book she threw at you. You blinked owlishly at it for a moment, the white cover decorated in different colorful stickers.

Your scrapbook...

You had completely forgotten you had made this the night you had finally decided to trust Undyne, while she had made you dinner. You smiled shyly as you looked up at Papyrus, tugging his scarf as you looked between your book and Mettaton.

" _Mettaton?_ " Papyrus began gently, holding you to his side as Mettaton looked up at him.

"Yes, darling?" Mettaton replied as softly as he could, seemingly trying not to scare you.

" _Would you do us the honor of being the first to sign the tiny human's book_?" he wondered, and you had to giggle at the orange blush that was slowly overtaking his cheeks.

You could only blush as Mettaton's face lit up like a Christmas tree and he instantly had a pen in his hand.

"Of course, darling, anything for a fan!" he beamed, though you could faintly tell he was trying to contain himself so that he wouldn't scare you. "So, what are you planning to fill your book with?" Mettaton smiled happily, gently taking the book from you and seemingly starting to draw something, "Other than my wonderful autographs."

"I...I don't...know," you admit quietly, "What...What do you normally put in a...scrap...book?"

"Papyrus," Mettaton began warningly, putting the book and pen down as he stood.

" _Y-Yes, Mettaton_?" Papyrus stuttered, pushing you back closer to Sans. Neither of you knew what was happening.

"I don't want to scare the kiddie again, so you're going to substitute for them." Sans barely managed to pull you away before Mettaton had Papyrus captured in a hug, squealing and spinning him in a rapid circle. "Oh darling that innocence is just adorable!" He only paused just long to set Papyrus safely back on his own feet and allow him to regain his balance before Mettaton recaptured your book and his pen and began working on it once again.

You tried to sneak around to see what he was doing, holding onto Papyrus's scarf as he walked with you, but whenever the two of you got close Mettaton would turn away or crouch over it to block your view.

"Patience, darling~!" Mettaton giggled, "Works of art take time you know!" You didn't even notice Sans and Undyne in the background trying not to laugh at the display before them.

Although...After the scarf stopped moving with you, you belatedly realized you had mummified Papyrus in his own scarf.

"O...Oh, sorry," you smiled sheepishly, helping Papyrus unwrap himself.

He just laughed.

"DO NOT WORRY, TINY HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS MERELY HAPPY YOU ARE ENJOYING YOURSELF!" Papyrus grinned, chuckling as your book was finally handed back to you by a triumphant looking Mettaton. You paused for a moment before you snatched the book from Mettaton, taking Papyrus's hand and running to hide behind Sans. Undyne couldn't control her laughter anymore as you and Papyrus crouched down behind Sans to hide as you both looked at the book. To his credit, Sans was doing a great job at not laughing so hard that he 'blew your cover.' You could even hear Mettaton's robotic laugh as you peeked past Sans' leg to see if Mettaton had had stayed put.

When you finally opened the book, you were stunned. Mettaton's name was written in a fancy font but above the name was a drawing of all...six...of you on a stage together. Mettaton was center stage with a mic in his hand, Sans and Papyrus were both next to him in fancier looking clothes with mics in their hands as well, you were standing in front of Mettaton with no mic, posing and dressed to match the three behind you, Undyne was standing at the edge of the stage with her spear dressed like a guard, and...Alphys...was sitting on the opposite side of the stage from Undyne with a big box that seemed like it had a bunch of different buttons and switches on it.

A rattling sound startled you from looking at the picture, tilting your head as you looked at a very orange...shaking...Papyrus.

"Pap-pap?" you questioned, ignoring Mettaton's call of 'aaaw.'

"Don't worry, baby bones," Sans grinned, trying very hard not to laugh, "He's just a bit...RATTLED!" You didn't even have time to react to the obvious pun before you were all suddenly reminded of the one person still not allowed near you.

"C-c-c-can I come over now?" she stuttered, a few feet away from Undyne.

Every part of you was screaming no...

"F...Fine," you sighed, the laughter dying as Papyrus protectively wrapped his arms around you, apparently snapping out of his stupor.

"What's the matter kiddo? Alphys can't be scarier than Undyne," Sans whispered, Undyne keeping Alphys away from the trio.

"She is," you mutter quietly, clinging to Papyrus's scarf as a security blanket, "There's...something off...W...Worse than h...having b...blood or d...dust on her hands." It scared you even more when you saw recognition flash through Sans' eyes.

"Baby bones," he sighed, "She won't hurt you, I promise. She's trying to make up for that mistake."

You still couldn't stop yourself from eyeing her suspiciously.

"Well, I didn't want this to happen so soon, but," Sans sighed, seemingly resigning himself to something, "Alphys, we're going down to the True Lab."

"WHAT?!" the lizard...dinosaur looking monster screeched, not even seeming to notice you flinched, "You can't! You know how territorial they are!"

"We're going Alphys," Sans growled, leading everyone towards a door, "With or without you. The kid's already got an idea **of the sins crawling on your back**."

"Sans? Isn't that the bathroom?" you mutter quietly, Papyrus still carrying you as he follows Sans.

"That's just how she hides this place," Sans explained patiently as he held the door open for everyone. It was a long hallway leading to an old looking elevator.

"Where...Are we going?" you wondered, Mettaton seemed to have some kind of idea and he didn't look too keen on wherever you were going.

"To the True Lab," Sans sighed quietly, eyeing Alphys as she quietly walked next to him, "One of the unfortunate stains in the history of Monster Escape Plans."

Oh this couldn't end well...

You clung tighter to Papyrus when Sans activated the elevator, Sans reaching up to take your hand as you felt his magic blaze to life again.

"Sans, you're going to scare them," Alphys tried to explain, only to be silenced when he turned his blazing blue eye towards her.

" **They** know **me** ," he growls, and you can tell he's barely controlling himself for your sake, "I could care less if I scare them right now, there's only one person I'm worried about scaring."

"Alphys, darling," Mettaton sighed, "For someone who is terrified of leaving their lab, you sure don't know how to tell when someone else is even more afraid than you."

You almost felt bad when you saw Alphys's eyes flash with a look of hurt for a moment.

...Almost...

When the elevator came to a shaky halt, you didn't have to wonder why Sans had been using his magic anymore, he was keeping all of you from falling. You squirmed a bit until Papyrus sat you down, taking your hand instead as you held to the bottom edge of Sans' hoodie. He only paused a moment to cast you a reassuring smile before the doors open and he led all of you out into a dark, dusty room.

"Alphys, where are the keys?" Sans sighed turning just enough to cast the monster a bored look.

"U...Um...H...Here and th-th-th-there," she replied quietly, and you could here Undyne's annoyed snort that she seemed to be trying to muffle.

No one seemed very happy with Alphys right now.

"Fine," Sans sighed, "Then we'll split into groups of two to look for them. We can't get back without restoring the power to the elevator, it kicked off on the way down. Do you want to go with us, Baby Bones?"

You merely nodded, you were trying to desperately not to shake like a leaf, this place didn't sit well with you.

"Okay, then Undyne, Mettaton, and Alphys will search everything to the south side of the lab and we'll deal with everything to the north," Sans sighed, looking back until he received a nod from Undyne and Mettaton before he led you and Papyrus to a door to the back left of the room.

"Frisk," Sans called after you arrived in a room filled with beds, "Stay close to me, alright? You too Pap."

"Are...The things down here...Really that dangerous?" you wondered quietly, refusing to let go of either of the brothers.

"They're just scared and want to go home," Sans sighed, "They're not bad once they know you, they're just scared of strangers and, in turn, react the only way they know how."

"What...What happened to them?" you wondered as Sans started pulling back covers on the beds, Papyrus helping wherever he could without breaking contact with you.

"You really want to know, baby bones? It's pretty bad," Sans sighed.

"You brought me down here to learn what Alphys had done," you point out quietly.

"Okay, kiddo, you're right," he smiled tiredly, sitting on one of the beds as he pulled you onto his lap, "I guess this is the best spot to explain things, the only one that stays in this room is shy and only comes out to tuck you in if you fall asleep on the beds."

You couldn't help the quiet snicker at the information, a monster that only came out to tuck people in? That was a new one.

"Before we get into any true details, keep in mind that, until you, it's been a... _ **very**_ long time since a human fell down here. Most monsters lost hope that we'd ever be free." You nodded slowly, squirming until you were actually comfortable as you settled in for what you assumed was going to be a long story.

"When monsters began to lose hope, they tried to turn to other methods. If six human souls weren't enough, surely a strong enough monster could replace it, right?" Sans began, and from the look on Papyrus's face, he knew this story too, "Monsters began to kill each other, devouring each other's souls despite the fact we have no way of absorbing another monster. Many monsters gained...a lot of love during those times, trying to protect themselves and their families. Even Monster Kid has a few levels worth because of fights stronger monsters would pick with him when he was too young to defend himself, his love gained when his parents defeated the monsters that attacked him."

"Do...Do you and Pap-pap?" you questioned quietly, hugging Sans and retaking Papyrus's hand as they both gave solemn nods.

"After awhile, King Asgore decided something had to be done, and requested that Alphys try to find a way to...make a monster's soul as strong as a human's soul," Sans began again, there was no going back once he started, "Taking a small sample from one of the souls, she created a serum she believed could equal a human's **determination**. That's when she requested for monsters that had fallen, monsters that were dead but had yet to turn into dust. It takes a few...hours for bodies to completely turn to dust...She injected all of the bodies with the serum, and everything went terribly wrong."

You eyes widen as you tug Papyrus into your hug, holding to both of them as their faces reflected their pain at this story. "The bodies stopped turning to dust, they actually started to restore themselves," Sans smiled lightly before his face became sullen, "Alphys told all of the families their loved ones would return to them soon, and everything became even worse. They began...Melting...When they came in contact with each other, they couldn't let go. Eventually they became the creatures that you'll see down here, the Amalgamates. Bodies with multiple souls consciously controlling the different parts, all of them trying and failing to find their separate voices. Alphys...She's probably the second most hated monster next to Jerry. Every day people ask where their loved ones are, accuse her of betraying them, their letters get worse every day. She never leaves her lab for fear of what will happen if someone sees her."

By now, you were openly sobbing into Sans' hoodie, clinging to him and Papyrus as your shoulders shook violently from the crying.

"Th...those poor m...mon...monsters," you cried, holding to them tighter as you felt the brothers wrap their arms around you.

"She never wanted this to happen, kiddo," Sans added quietly, Papyrus gently petting your head as they waited for you to calm.

There's a long pause before you manage to steady your breath just enough to whisper, "That doesn't make it right to hide this from everyone. Even if they can't return to normal, the deserve to see their families again."

"I couldn't agree with you more, baby bones," Sans finally smiled, hugging you and Papyrus close as a metallic click began to fill the now silent air.

"Decided to take a nap?" Mettaton chuckled teasingly, frowning when he noticed the tears still threatening to fall and your cheeks stained with slowly drying tear streaks, "What happened?"

"Story time," Sans grinned, letting you stand up as he took your hand this time while Papyrus took your other hand. You sighed when you saw Alphys cast her gaze to the floor, you couldn't pretend not to notice the sad look in her eyes anymore.

"Alphys," you called quietly, pointedly avoiding looking her in the eye, "I'll...Give you a chance, but...I won't forgive you until the...amal...ga...mates are home."

"Sounds like a deal," Undyne grinned, putting her hand on Alphys's head before the shorter monster could try to voice her protest at the action.

Was...Alphys...blushing...from a touch to her head?

It was about an hour before you found all of the keys, all of you now standing in a small room with a TV and several video tapes. You were sat on Mettaton's lap this time, sat between Sans and Papyrus as Alphys shakily put the first tape in.

"Pssst. Gorey, wake up." the first tape began, and you perked up at the sound of the voice.

"Mom?" you questioned quietly, not missing the fact that Sans was staring at the screen in shock. Although, you could have done without him deciding right then to distract himself by starting to mend your side with his magic. You had completely forgotten with the turn events had taken, but right now you wanted to pay attention to the videos.

"I would be...A MOMERANIAN," Toriel's voice giggled, you and Sans both snickering at the horrible pun.

"Hohoho! You sure excited to have this child. You know, if you keep making jokes like this...One day, you could be...a famous MOMedian," the other voice joked, you assumed this one was Asgore.

Would that make him dad then, or were they technically divorced now?

The videos, all five of them, were short with barely any real information to them, but they still made your heart ache. Mettaton was openly crying and using you as a living teddy bear while Papyrus was doing the same to Sans, Undyne and Alphys looked about as upset as Sans did, but they were keeping to themselves.

"Flowey," you mutter, thinking back to a few of the barely working monitors you had read and a prophecy the old turtle in Waterfall had told you.

"Flowey?" Sans questioned, everyone turning their attention to you.

"Papyrus is going to be the only one that doesn't think I'm crazy," you sigh, as you scratch your cheek, even Mettaton stopped sniffling to hear this, "When I first fell...The first monster I met was a little...talking...yellow flower that called himself Flowey the Flower."

"Oh! I know that flower!" Papyrus chimed in happily, before you saw dreaded realization cross his face.

"Flowey attacked me...and would have killed me if Toriel hadn't shown up," you sigh, thinking back to your time in the Ruins, "His soul...I don't think he meant for me to see it...But he has two...A golden soul being choked and suppressed by a black soul. I think..."

"You think the black soul is Chara and the golden one is Asriel," Alphys continued as you trailed off, you could practically see the gears starting to go into overdrive in her head.

"I don't think...That there's any way to help Chara, but I think Asriel has a chance," you murmur, holding your head as you try to solve this new problem, "Chara enjoys hurting others, that's why they laughed when they made...Asgore sick. It was an accident, but it had been amusing to them. If the stories I've heard hold even an ounce of truth...Chara used Asriel to get to the surface...They wanted to use the power of both monsters and humans to..."

Your eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on you just WHY "Flowey" had been so insistent that you fight.

"Kid?" Sans called quietly, reaching out and gently shaking you arm.

"Chara's my opposite," you say through grit teeth, the words sour in your mouth, "They told me I had two choices in this world. The path of the strong or the weak...Even after Toriel saved me from them, they whispered to me from the shadows to slaughter everything...If I hadn't...If I hadn't chosen not to hurt anyone...Like...They hurt me...I'd be...just like...Chara..."

Apparently, Mettaton decided right that second that the best way to shut you up was to crush you in a hug. "U...Um, Mettaton?"

Alphys stuttered, "Their f-f-face is u-um...t-t-turning blue."

"Whoopsie," Mettaton smiled as he released you, finally letting you draw air back into your lungs, "But no more of that talk, deary. You're much too sweet to hurt anymore, not like that brute Chara if your theory is anything to go by."

"How...can you be so sure?" you question quietly, not even struggling as he picked you up and everyone began walking back towards the elevator.

"We've seen six examples of this 'stronger path' Chara told you of, none of them hesitated to leave a trail of dust in their wake. You, however, I've watched you through the cameras Alphys has everywhere, all you've done is dodge and try to resolve the fights peacefully. Even when that idiot cousin of mine attacked you!"

"That...That was your cousin?" your eyes widened in alarm, you were pretty sure he was dust!

"No worries, he's not dust," Mettaton quickly soothed, "He's actually quite happy now. He found a new dummy to possess and bound right to it. Although, that means if you really want to, you _can_ give him a beating now. I won't hold it against you."

"I'll take that offer," Undyne grins, frowning a bit when you cast her a panicked, worried look, "I'm not going to kill him, just get my hits in and a couple for those wounds he gave you." You sighed, settling with shooting a pout towards Undyne before you settled back in Mettaton's arms.

If Undyne really wanted to knock that dummy's block in, you weren't going to stop her, you just wished she wouldn't. You still didn't like violence, but that might just be because you'd been on the receiving end of it for so long. You sighed once again when Mettaton began to hum, laying your head on his shoulder as you slowly fell asleep.

" **Alright, spill," Mettaton demanded the instant the human was sound asleep, which was around the time they made it back to the elevator, "What happened to the kid? I haven't seen anyone this jumpy since the senseless murders ended and I finally got Blooky to go outside."**

 **"From what we've gathered from their sleep talking?" Undyne sighed, glancing at the brothers who seemed just a reluctant to tell anyone, "Hell. The last time Alphys went on a anime marathon and blew up her UnderNet the kid was tossing and turning...Talking about their...human mom...We think they were abused by their own parents."**

 **"It would explain why they so willingly call...Toriel...their mom. I don't think they have any plans to go back to the humans," Sans sighed sadly, "Not that we would let them."**

" **So they fell down here on accident while trying to run away?" Alphys questioned, looking at the human child Mettaton held protectively to his chest.**

 **" _I don't think so_ ," Papyrus frowned, he really didn't like the only conclusion the child's nightmares lead him to, " _I think they meant for the fall to kill them_."**

 **An uncomfortable silence fell over the group as they all moved to the living quarters of Alphys's lab, none of them wanting to continue the conversation anymore.**

" **Mettaton," Sans finally spoke up, "Can you check the kid?"**

" **For what?" Mettaton wondered curiously, laying the child on the couch.**

 **"For magic," Sans sighed, "I think they tried their hand at magic before they fell."**

 **"Oh," Mettaton murmured, rubbing the back of his neck, "Very well then." He gently laid his hand on Frisk's chest as his soul glowed faintly, calling Frisk's soul gently to the surface. It was an ability few monsters held, to sense another's magical capabilities, and one Mettaton knew he was only being asked to use because the older skeleton wanted a second opinion. "It's...Very faint," Mettaton sighed, obviously disappointed he had found anything at all, "I don't think they consciously tried to use it. It...Feels more like they accidentally summoned it to the surface...Sans...How long have the been in the Underground?"**

" **From what I've gathered?" Sans mused quietly, "Going on two months now."**

 **"Their magic surfaced when they fell then," Mettaton said numbly, a feeling of dread washing over him, "Not of their own will either."**

 **"What do you mean?" Undyne's head snapped up. What did he mean the kid hadn't somehow summoned their magic on their own?**

 **"Think about it," Alphys stated, starting to put the pieces together, "Flowey was right there. Chara and Asriel in one being, watching another human fall. How is a young monster's magic brought to the surface?"**

" **The parents coax it to the surface with their own," Sans took over, his eye sockets blank as he realized what this all meant, "Asriel...He must have reached out with what magic he could control, and pulled what little magic is in the kid to the surface. Coaxed it into the first spell a child is taught." " _Protection_ ," Papyrus murmured, glancing over at the young human.**

 **"Sans," Mettaton finally spoke back up, "Why did you want to know if they had magic?"**

" **The kid wants to help Asgore break the barrier," Sans grinned proudly, even if he was dreading what would happen to Frisk when the time came, "But they don't even know how to transfer their magic to another. If we can teach them that at the least, we won't have to force them through the years it would take to learn to cast the spell themselves."**

 **"Guys," Undyne interrupted, everyone instantly following her gaze to a restless Frisk.**

" _Little Thief," a man growled pulling you along by your hair as he walked._

 _"I gave you the money for it!" you protested, desperately trying to break free._

 _"I don't want your stolen money," he sneered, pulling your hair harder and frowning when you refused to scream for him. You knew where he was taking you, and you had no plans on going back there again. He was dragging you home._

 _"I didn't steal it! I earned it fair and square!" you screamed, silently cursing everyone that walked past you without even trying to help. No one in this town liked you. With another tug on your hair, you finally resigned yourself to a decision. You grabbed onto his leg and pulled, not releasing his leg until he let go of your hair and fell to the ground._

 _You took off running without a second thought, ignoring the pain as every cut and bruise on your body screamed its protest. You knew exactly where you were going to go. If no one wanted you, you were going where no one could even find your body._

 _"Shit," you hissed as you heard gun shots behind you just as you finally reached the tree line, "Should've taken the bastard's phone."_

 _You growled stubbornly as you started up the mountain, dropping to all fours and practically clawing your way to the top as you refused to stop. You grinned when finally reached the top and saw the top of the mountain you had heard all your life was strictly forbidden, although no one knew why. You didn't even look back as you jumped._

" _ **Please don't die!"**_

You shot up, groaning as your head collided with something hard.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, darling!" Mettaton gasped, gently helping you sit up as your head throbbed from the collision, "I was just about to wake you when you shot up."

"It's okay," you smiled tiredly, rubbing your head as you noticed everyone staring at you, "What?"

" _Do you...Want to talk about it_?" Papyrus prodded gently, causing you sigh quietly.

You had been wondering how much longer until someone directly asked you about the nightmares, about why it was so rare for you wake calmly from your sleep. You just...Didn't expect to be asked with people that were still so...new to you around.

"Guess there's no point trying to keep it to myself anymore," you sigh, not bothering to tell them you had been waiting years for someone to finally be willing to listen, "I take it...most of you have already figured out I was abused?" You chuckled numbly when you saw Alphys's mildly shocked face, she apparently hadn't connected all the dots until just then.

Wasn't she supposed to be the smart one?

"There's a small town at the foot of this mountain," you sigh, trying to piece together the best way to say it, "I guess you could say I was a table scrap child. My parents weren't drunks, but they were violent. Break something, fail a class, cry, anything that interrupted their lives lead to a beating. _Mother_ wasn't too bad, she only beat me until I stopped making noise. _Father_ , he was bad, whenever he got involved it always lead to waking up in a hospital. What do you expect though, he was a boxer that had been thrown out of the organization."

"Wait," Undyne interrupted gently, "You said..."

"That I can barely read and don't know a lot of the bigger words?" you interrupted, grinning tiredly at her, "I was left in school just long enough to learn the very basics when they decided it wasn't worth the money for me to keep going. After that it finally dawned on me I didn't have a single friend in the entire town. Everyone took their shot at me for any reason that happened to come to their mind. I didn't even understand why I was so hated until I fell down here, and I know at least three of you should have noticed it by now." You paused as you unzipped your hoodie, pulling the right side down and rolling up your shirt sleeve to reveal a symbol that seemed very familiar to everyone.

"The...D-D-Delta Ruin?" Alphys stuttered, and you only nodded.

"Was wondering what that was called," you chuckled dryly, "On the surface it's one of the markings we've forgotten the meaning of, just like no one remembers why you should never climb Mt. Ebott. In my town, there's hundreds of records of this mark appearing on someone. Apparently, it used to happen once every thirty years, but it started to happen more and more often. I was the second child born in my year with the mark. The first one had been killed, I was supposed to be raised as an experiment to understand why the more they killed the ones baring the marks, the faster the marks returned. They never said I had to be in good health, only that I had to stay alive."

"That's why you have magic," Sans finally spoke up, stopping your train of thought dead in it tracks.

You...had magic?

"What?" you wondered, eyeing Sans like he had finally gone insane from all his bad puns.

"You have a small bit of magic," Mettaton began to explain slowly, "When you...jumped, we think Asriel recognized your mark and pulled it to the surface to protect you from your fall. You weren't even aware you had magic until just now, so it understands why the magic is still newborn and faint. You won't be able to truly access it unless you're willing to practice with it."

"Asriel...Pulled my magic to the surface?" you questioned, holding your throbbing head, gasping quietly when Papyrus held his cold, glove-less fingers to the sore spot on your head.

"It's the exact same as what a parent monster does for their child when they're old enough to begin practicing with magic," Sans took his turn at explaining, "They use a harmless burst of their own magic to push their child's magic to the surface, and then use a little bit of their magic to coax the child's to take the form of their first spell. We think Asriel used what little control he had to pull your magic to the surface and shape into that spell. A spell we call, Protection."

"Asgore?" you snorted at the spell's name.

"Of course!" Undyne grinned.

"So, the spell is why...the fall didn't kill me," you murmured quietly, yelping as you instantly squished between Mettaton, Sans, and Papyrus.

Since when did you have three clingy males trying to suffocate you?

"Get used to it," Undyne grinned, sitting down as she left the three keep you trapped in a hug, "You're part of this family whether you like it or not and those three right there are the most protective ones by far...Yes, even more protective than me."

"Wasn't...trying to argue," you grunt, squirming to try to get free from your three captors. Thankfully, your stomach seemed to decide food was more important at that point. Mettaton and Papyrus almost instantly released you, practically racing for the kitchen as Sans moved you over onto his lap.

"Is there a reason the human isn't allowed down?" you huff, crossing your arms childishly.

"The human isn't allowed to get hurt anymore," Sans grinned, loosely holding you around your waist and practically daring you to try to go somewhere without him.

"I almost feel sorry for you, runt," Undyne grinned teasingly, making absolutely no move to help you, "There's not a force alive than can change those three's mind once they decide something."

You merely roll your eyes, leaning back against Sans in favor of being more comfortable than stubborn, "So, what is the plan anyways? It's not like we can just stay here. We've still got to get to Asgore, break the barrier, and figure out how to save Asriel!"

"B...But Asriel is only half a soul," Alphys finally spoke up, "There's no way to save him."

"Sans, is Gaster still in that room?" you questioned, seemingly completely ignoring Alphys.

The fact that Sans stopped looking at you and was looking over his shoulder at an empty wall was all you needed to know. Sans could openly walk through the world's code, he could see and access more things than the others thought.

"There are more fragmented souls aren't there?" You question, watching as Sans slowly nodded his head.

"What are you planning, baby bones?"he wondered as he turned his attention back to you.

"The determination serum," you frown slightly, not entirely sure where this plan was coming from, "What would it do to a monster soul that had absorbed a human's soul and therefore had already absorbed some determination? He can reset, I know he can. He's a monster with the powers you told me only a human can have."

Sans stared at you for a moment when you felt his fingers twitch on your waist, and you were both suddenly downstairs in front of a computer as his fingers started flying across the keyboard.

"Oh dear," Mettaton hummed, and you looked over to see him holding a large plate for you while Papyrus seemed to be trying to think of a 'rescue the human from Sans' plan, "Sans, darling, the human does need to eat you know." Alphys screamed bloody murder from the top floor when a stack of papers went flying with a flash of blue and you were shifted just enough he could still type while you ate.

"What's...going on?" you questioned quietly as you began eating, pausing when you realized it was mashed potatoes and spaghetti; that was new.

"Sans was a scientist before Alphys," Mettaton explained, sitting down in a chair he pulled up to the other side of the desk, "He worked alongside W. D. Gaster long before Alphys, though he left with Gaster's disappearance. I believe you re-awakened his inner scientist."

"THERE IS NO STOPPING MY BROTHER WHEN HE IS LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY IF HE HAS DEEMED YOU UNSAFE TO LEAVE HIS SIDE!" Papyrus called, helping Undyne and Alphys pick up the mass amount of papers.

"Okay, let's forget about the stopping," you sigh, listening to the furious tapping as you ate, "How do you at least get him to let you go?"

"NOT POSSIBLE! I HAVE TRIED MANY TIMES!" Papyrus grinned.

You weren't sure if he was proud of his brother's protectiveness, or happy someone else was finally in his boots for a change.

Sans continued on that way for the better half of an hour before he finally stopped abusing the poor keyboard.

"Done?" you wondered, looking away briefly from the vocabulary list Mettaton had been helping you through. He had apparently decided he was going to be your English teacher, and everyone else was going to have to figure out what they were going to teach you themselves. Honestly, you weren't sure if it was purely his idea, or if Alphys had come up with it because she instantly jumped at the job of math teacher.

"For now," Sans muttered, staring at the screen and studying it for any errors.

" _Three...Two_ ," Papyrus grinned, breaking off his argument with Undyne for the moment just as Sans suddenly turned a hilarious shade of blue.

"Sans?" you questioned, poking his dark blue cheekbones as he looked away nervously.

"Sorry," he muttered, scratching his other cheekbone in embarrassment, "Didn't mean to...Do that."

"Oh it's fine, you had fun," you snickered quietly, watching his cheekbones turned an even darker blue, "So, will it work?"

"It...might," Sans sighed, staring at the screen once more, "If...we can convince him to finish absorbing Chara."

"I thought there was no way to stop the process?" Alphys's eyes widened, Sans casting an uninterested glance her way.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink," Sans sighed, "If the host truly doesn't want to consume the soul, the body will forcibly stop the process, perceiving the soul as a threat."

"But unlike food...There's no way to regurgitate a soul once it's been consumed," Alphys added on as she finally pieced everything together, Sans nodding his agreement.

"Why do we still need the serum then?" you questioned, now thoroughly confused. Weren't Chara and Asriel both balf souls?

"According to Gaster, Chara's no longer a half soul. They're closer to a...quarter soul," Sans rubbed his skull as he tried to explain, "Dying creates a half soul, but Chara technically died twice. Once before they were absorbed and once after, the second death further damaging their soul as it had never been completely absorbed. Had it been, there wouldn't be the problem of two souls fighting over the same body."

"I'll figure something out," you grinned tilting your head slightly as you look between Sans and Mettaton, "So, what now? We still have to get to Asgore."

"I have a show in two weeks," Mettaton hummed thoughtfully, "We'll continue your school until then, darling. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good, anyone claim science and magic yet?" Sans grinned before you could protest.

"Darling of course not!" Mettaton grinned, "I'm teaching them english, Alphys is taking math, and Undyne and Papyrus are still fighting over who is P.E. and who's home economics."

You sighed as you tapped Mettaton's arm with your pen, turning the piece of paper back towards him.

"Hm? Economics?" he wondered, neatly writing the word on the page as you nodded.

"Just teaching the kid the big words?" Sans wondered, looking the paper over as it was turned back towards you.

"As well as cursive, basic grammar rules, and spelling," Mettaton grinned proudly, pointing over to Alphys who was on a smaller computer rapidly tapping away, "Alphys is working on basic mathematics and a little bit of pre-algebra."

You blinked when the walls started practically crawling with bones, Sans pulling you closer to him as all of you looked over to see Papyrus and Undyne moments away from getting in a full out brawl. You looked back at Sans when you felt his magic blazing to life again, looking over at the fighting pair as they both started floating.

" **SANS**!" they both yelled, though Sans merely grinned as he separated the two of them.

"Undyne," Sans hummed thoughtfully, "You can handle physical education. You've trained the royal guards under you, you know how to tell where someone's limits are. Papyrus can teach the kid home economics, I've seen him cooking with the kid before. He's patient and observant enough they won't get hurt, even while he's making spaghetti." You had to snicker a little bit as Undyne looked like she was pouting, unable argue that Sans had a point.

"Well," you chuckled, though you still wish you could get to Asgore already, "Looks like we have a plan for now."

* * *

 **[1 Week and 6 Days Later]**

"Okay, baby bones, nice and slow," Sans smiled and he took your hand.

It was your last magic lesson before Mettaton's show and the robot had taken everyone else out to do something while you stayed at the lab with Sans. You frowned a bit as Sans brought his magic to the surface, and you focused hard to follow his example.

"Good, now, do you remember the next step?" he smiled encouragingly.

You nodded slowly as you wrapped your magic around your hand until it was glowing red, just like Sans' hand was glowing a fiery blue. It took a moment longer for you to start slowly blending your magic into his, looking up at him to make sure you weren't accidentally hurting him as your magic swirled purple where the two met.

"Good job!" Sans beamed once his hand was entirely purple, once more talking you through how to dispel your magic as he did the same to his, "Looks like you've really got the hang of it kiddo."

You grinned a bit sheepishly as you nodded, happy you were finally able to get it right. The last two weeks had practically flown by, everyone helping you with the basic skills you had never fully developed, and of course the one you hadn't even known you had. You could now transfer your magic to another, your magic practice partner changed every day to make sure you didn't learn how to only mix your magic with Sans, and you could 'cast' Protection and Mend; a basic healing spell, nothing like what Sans usually had to use on you.

Mettaton would randomly quiz you throughout the day on new words or rules you had learned in the morning with him, just like Alphys would give you a few pages of homework that were based on that day's lesson. You were actually proud you could finally, at the very least, do basic multiplication, division was still hard for you if you couldn't write it down. You, Sans, and Alphys had even come up with a pair of phones that could send each other messages even if one was in the void during one of your science classes. Of course, you found out quickly that you could only really communicate if Sans or Papyrus was around because they were the only ones that could read "Wing Ding." According to Alphys it was because the pair themselves spoke in fonts as well, which they had to explain by texting Alphys and having her show you the messages. She offered to update your phone, but you didn't have the heart to change the phone Toriel had given you, which ultimately ended in her handing you a custom made phone the next day.

"Darlings! We're home!" Mettaton called, dropping a large pile of bags in the middle of the makeshift living-room you had all made in the lab, "How goes magic class?"

"Just finished up," Sans chuckled, ruffling your hair, "Frisk's got the basics down pat."

"METTATON! CAN WE SHOW THE HUMAN THEIR SUPRISE NOW!?" Papyrus called as he finally got through the door, dropping off a large amount of bags off near the ones Undyne had brought in.

"What did you guys do?" you wondered, going over to peek into one of the bags until you were hoisted into the air by Sans' magic, looking over at him as he left you floating upside-down.

"No ruining the surprise, baby bones," he grinned, turning you so you could no longer see all of the bags.

"Fine," you huffed with a roll of your eyes, "Then where's Alphys and Undyne? I thought they left with you guys?"

"Oh they did, darling," Mettaton practically sang, "We'll meet up with them later tonight. Now, go change. Go on now, shoo."

You blinked as a bag was thrust into your arms and you were deposited upstairs on Alphys's bed. You merely rolled your eyes as you got up and started unpacking the bag.

…Was this...Really?

You ran across the room to the slowly filling scrapbook, opening it to the first page as you looked between it and the pile of clothes on the bed. Black dress pants, black socks, a purple tank top, purple sneakers, purple wrist bands, and a black hat with a shiny purple front...Exactly like Mettaton had drawn in your book. You could only grin as you changed into your new clothes, but you still kept your hoodie tied around waist, it was strange but you always had a nagging feeling that told you not to put it down. You didn't waste time grabbing the camera Alphys had given you almost two weeks ago and running for the stairs, pausing only long enough to hear Papyrus yell, "YOU CAN COME DOWN NOW HUMAN!"

You grinned as you run down the stairs, stopping dead in your tracks when you saw the three waiting for you. Mettaton looked like his usual self, but he was looking over you approvingly, not seeming to mind your unwillingness to completely remove your hoodie. Sans was wearing a black tank top, a nicer looking blue hoodie than his usual one, black dress pants in place of his usual shorts, and slip one shoes that were the same shade of blue as his hoodie. Papyrus, on the other hand, was wearing the black and orange version of your hat, a black tank top with an orange hoodie like Sans, black dress pants, and orange boots. "You like it, darling?" Mettaton grinned.

"I love it!" You grinned, running up and hugging Mettaton around the waist, "But what's all for?"

"Oh, you'll see, darling," Mettaton teased, causing you to pout, "Now come along, we have to get going so we make it back on time!"

"Can we listen to that song again on the way?" you grinned, stuffing your camera and scrapbook into the backpack Papyrus had bought for you the last time he was allowed to go shopping alone. You still didn't understand how he had found a spaghetti shaped backpack.

"Of course, darling," Mettaton chuckled as he started playing music from the speaker in his chest, "Anything for a fan."

You laughed as you and Papyrus danced along to the music as you walked, not a care in the world.

When was the last time you had ever been this happy? You couldn't remember. Ever since you entered the underground your world has been turned upside-down. Here you had a family, albeit a strange one, willing to help you through everything. Sure, it had taken time for you to finally trust any of them, but they had all waited patiently until you were ready. Alphys had probably been the second most patient next to Sans.

Even after you had said you would give her a chance, you had been unwilling to be left alone in the room with her. Oddly enough, she been respectful of that desire, always entering the room with at least one of the others. She wouldn't even sit next to you for the longest time, always keeping a table or some other large object between you and her. Honestly, you hadn't understood why you were unable to trust her, until you had snapped awake from a nightmare so terrified of her she had to be taken out of her own home. You couldn't remember what the nightmare had been able, but Sans had explained you had a repressed memory, one that didn't seem to want to resurface unless you were asleep,. Apparently at some point you had been subject to those experiments you had told them you were supposed to forced through.

Sans, by far, had been the most patient with you. You couldn't really remember the first week you had been with him, when you had spent almost all of your time unconscious. You could, however, faintly recall bits and pieces of the few times you had been awake. Times of him sitting on the opposite side of the room as you cowered against the wall on his bed, times of him feeding you when you didn't have the strength to move, small fragments of the times he had helped you...even if you hadn't wanted it. Maybe that is why he was the first you trusted so fully...Why he's the one that almost always decided how quickly you put your trust in anyone. Except Undyne...Monster Kid had done most of the convincing that Undyne wasn't a bad...monster...just that she acted before she thought things entirely through.

"Whoa," you gasped, jarring yourself out of your own thoughts as you looked at the large building before you, "Where are we?"

"Where I work, darling. Where else?" Mettaton smiled, Sans and Papyrus taking your hands as you walked into the large building.

"MTT Resort," Sans chuckled while Papyrus looked around excitedly.

"Mani, darling," Mettaton greeted a monster with a hand for a head, "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, Mettaton, here's the spare room keys you requested," they replied, handing Mettaton two sets of keys, "Your two guests have already already arrived."

"Five guests," Mettaton corrected, pulling you up next to him as he smiled tensely, "And if anything happens to my little darling here, your next manicure is going to be the least of your worries."

You actually felt a little bad as you saw the new monster sweat in panic.

A little...

* * *

 **[Ten Minutes Later...]**

"Frisk, you okay?" Undyne wondered, waving her hand in front of your face with a worried expression.

You weren't entirely sure how long you'd been standing just in the doorway, staring wide eyed at Mettaton's suite. Everything was different shades of black, silver, and pink but arranged in a way where one color wasn't completely overwhelming. You could faintly remember, from a time you had been listening to a woman at the newspaper stand, that this was the...rich version of a modern style home, just compacted into a suite.

"Come on, baby bones, the couch doesn't bite," Sans grinned as he used his magic to hoist you into the air, using the same magic to remove your shoes before pulling you over and setting you on the couch next to him, "It just likes to loaf around."

"SANS!" Papyrus shrieked from somewhere in the background as you laughed.

"So, you excited for your performance tomorrow, Mettaton?" you smiled, tilting your head when you save Mettaton flash you a devious grin.

"Of course, darling!" Mettaton grinned, "But you should be too. Your big debut is tomorrow as well~!"

"H-Huh?" You stuttered, staring wide eyed at the robot before you.

"Don't worry, kiddo," Sans chuckled, "Pap and me'll be there with you."

"Unless you really don't want to, darling. I won't make you do something you're not comfortable with," Mettaton assured.

Oh...Oh shit...How the hell had you forgotten?! "N-No! I want to!" You quickly assure.

"Are you sure?" Mettaton asked, kneeling down in front of you so he was looking you in the eye.

"Y-Yes, positive," you stuttered once more, "I just...wasn't expecting that." Although, in all honestly, you should have given how closely this resembled the drawing Mettaton had done for you.

"THAT IS WHY THEY CALL IT A SUPRISE!" Papyrus chimed in happily from the background again, "METTATON, WHAT ARE ALL THESE BOOKS?!"

"DON'T TOUCH THOSE!" Mettaton suddenly shrieked in embarrassment.

"Oh, those are Mettaton's dairies. The filled ones at least, he has another stash somewhere from when he bought a new book for every day of his life," Alphys explained, running and hiding behind Undyne when Mettaton dove for her. You were too busy laughing to see what happened after that.

" _ **Mettaton, what's that?" you wondered as you noticed Papyrus watching more Mettaton re-runs in the living-room.**_

 _ **"What's what, darling?" Mettaton wondered, turning towards where you pointed, trying to find what you were talking about.**_

 _ **"The rating chart on the side on your show," you clarified.**_

 _ **"OH!" Mettaton laughed, "The yellow line is the goal I hope to reach one of these days, and well I'll take a call from one of my viewers."**_

 _ **"So you've never had that many viewers?" You wondered, tilting your head slightly. You had been pretty sure Mettaton was something that was watched by everyone in the Underground.**_

 _ **"Not yet," Mettaton chuckled, a dreamy look coming over his features, "But I plan on going above and beyond that marker when we reach the surface."**_

" _ **Why?" you asked warily.**_

 _ **"Because of all the human viewers I'll gain once we reach the surface," Mettaton grinned.**_

 _ **"But why?" You sighed, "The monsters down here need someone to look up to, don't they? Humans already have plenty, believe me. They all suck, but monsters?...You're all they have aren't you? The only monster they have to count on for any happiness down here..."**_

 _ **Mettaton was silent for a long while before a thoughtful look came over his features. "You're absolutely right, darling," he said with a certain finality, "I cannot let my fans down. This next show will be the biggest one yet!"**_

 _ **"I'll help however I can," You laughed, watching as Mettaton ran off somewhere, your English lesson completely forgotten.**_

"So, we all sleeping in different beds or camping out?" Undyne asked, handing you a bowl of cut up fruits.

"Camping out!" Everyone replied while you just shook your head with a smile.

"Camping out" had become code for "dog pile with the human in the middle" after the last night you had a nightmare. No one wanted to leave you alone to go back to their makeshift beds, so when you had woken up the next morning you were completely surrounded by everyone. When they did it the very next night...there was a universal shock that you hadn't woken up with a nightmare. Undyne had claimed you had nightmares when you didn't feel completely safe, and feeling surrounded by people you trusted while you slept was like the reason she slept with one hand on her spear.

"Alright, bed time," Sans chuckled, snapping you from your thoughts as you lifted by Papyrus and plopped into the middle of the giant makeshift bed mad of cushions and pillows.

You hadn't even realized you had finished eating and the bowl had been taken from you.

"IT IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS'S TURN TO HAVE THE TEDDY BEAR!" he declared, laying down and pulling you to his chest before anyone could protest.

You could only chuckle as you rolled your eyes at his antics. You were always his 'teddy bear' since the camp outs had started, it was just that Sans usually held you hostage on top of him.

"Yeah, Papa Bones can survive one night without the runt," Undyne snickered, laying down next to Alphys to your left.

You laughed when Sans' face turned bright blue and he buried his face in his pile of pillows on your right. Mettaton was sleeping at everyone's head as it was the closest to the wall for him to plug into to recharge.

"Night guys," you finally yawn, laying your head down as you slowly fell asleep, faintly hearing everyone's own chime of goodnight.

* * *

The next day you were all woken up by a banging on the door. Mettaton was the first to get up, marching towards the door and cracking it open.

"I believe I made specific orders that no one was to wake me until it was time to prepare for the show," Mettaton grumbled.

"I-I'm sorry, sir, but the agency thought it would make for a great segment to interview you with all of your co-stars before the show," a new voice spoke up from the other side of the door.

"As long as the others are fine with it," you sighed, just loud enough for Mettaton to hear.

You sat up, sleepily scratching your head as you looked at where you were. At some point in the night you had ended up between Sans and Papyrus, and both of the sleepy brothers were not very fond of the idea of letting you go. Their arms were stubbornly wrapped around your waist as they glared at the doorway, Undyne was more awake but she still looked like she was going to run a spear through the door to get the one that had given all of you such a horrible wake up call.

It took a few minutes before the others gave half-hearted, tired thumbs up...

"Fine," Mettaton sighed, grinning threateningly, "But if you step out of line, I can offer no guarantee to your safety." You had to snicker as a well dressed man walked into the room looking ready to wet himself.

"A h-human?" he stuttered, and you felt all your amusement disappear as Sans' and Papyrus's magic flared warningly.

"Darling, I would watch where you tread," Mettaton warned in a sing-song voice. You were hoisted into the air as Papyrus stood, holding you to him as he sat in the middle of the couch with you. Sans sat to your left while Mettaton sat next to him, and Undyne and Alphys sat to your right with Alphys directly next to you.

"Okay, let's start simple," the man began, clearing his throat as he seemed to snap out of his terrified stupor, "What are your names? Of course, everyone already knows that great Mettaton and Undyne the Undying."

"From right to left then," Mettaton took over as he slowly pointed to everyone as he spoke, "Undyne the Undying and Captain of the Royal Guard, Alphys the Royal Scientist, Papyrus the 'Coolest Skeleton Alive,' his brother Sans the Skeleton, and of course moi, Mettaton."

"I-I'm sorry but you appear to have skipped one," he stuttered.

"Go ahead, I already agreed to this," you sigh, looking over at Mettaton, "You know where the line is."

"Very well then," Mettaton sighed, "The one in the middle is **our** precious little darling, Frisk, and while we're at it, allow me to offer a warning. If anyone hurts or little darling, not even Asgore himself can save them."

"Ton-ton, stop trying to make the guy wet himself," You scold softly, deciding to tease the star, "Sans, Pap-pap, and Undyne have that completely handled for you."

Sadly enough, it was true too. Sans and Papyrus were allowing their magic to show while Undyne was pretending to be busy polishing her spear. Undyne wasn't kidding when she had said you had the most over-protective monsters in the underground for a family...

"Oh fine, Frisk darling," Mettaton laughs.

"O...Okay, next question," the man stutters, "Would it be...Crossing the line to ask what your relationship with...Frisk is?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Alphys spoke up this time, shaking her head as the man simply raises a brow, "Let's make this simple then. You're sitting in a nest."

"Alphys!" you whine as the man instantly looks ready to run for the hills again.

"Oh let us have our fun," Undyne grins, "He owes us for the rude awakening."

You merely sigh as you settle in for what's going to be a long morning.

It takes almost two hours before the man has enough answers and finally leaves, Undyne instantly moving into the kitchen and beginning to make everyone breakfast. Although, it didn't last very long as she had to return to help Mettaton pry you out of Papyrus's hold. If you tried to wiggle yourself free he simply held onto you tighter.

"Pap-pap!" you yelled, shaking Sans as he didn't seem very keen on helping you, "What is wrong with him?!"

Then, like a spell had come undone, you were released and crashed straight into Undyne.

"S...Sorry, baby bones," Sans apologized softly.

"It's fine, but what happened to you two?" you wondered as Undyne returned to the kitchen after brushing you off.

"THAT MAN!" Papyrus practically growled, "I DON'T LIKE HIM!"

Really?...They held you hostage because they didn't like the guy? Really?

"I don't blame you, darling," Mettaton huffed, "But he _is_ a rat. Just be happy he's more cowered than thief."

"I think anyone would be terrified with all of you looking like you were trying to find the best way to kill him," you huffed, grinning as Undyne handed you a plate of pancakes. "So, why did you call this place a nest?" you asked once everyone had gotten their food.

"Oh, that's what most monsters call their home when there is a child present," Alphys chuckled, "You're our kid so why wouldn't we call our homes our nests?"

"THE HUMAN IS CHANGING COLORS AGAIN!" Papyrus yelled, pointing his fork accusingly at you.

"Nah, kid's just blushing," Undyne grinned.

"At least my skin doesn't make me turn purple," you grumble, squealing and struggling as Undyne instantly has you captured in a headlock and is giving you a noogie.

The day passes quickly after that, Mettaton giving you a crash course on the basic steps for the show.

"Did you invite Napstablook?" you asked, following Mettaton's movements as you both danced to the song.

"Of course, Darling," he chuckled, "I've even sent Undyne and Alphys to make sure he actually comes!"

"Oh nooo, pour Napstablook," you laughed.

"Okay, Frisk, darling, can you flip my switch back for me? It's just for a little while," Mettaton asked gently, he knew his temporary body made you uneasy.

You nod as Mettaton turns around and you flip his switch to its original position, wincing as his voice immediately becomes just a little more robotic than usual.

"Thank you, Frisk. Now remember, none of it is going to be real, and you have to flip it back during the first song's first song chorus," he says gently, his screen showing a heart in place of the smile he can no longer show you.

"I know," you smile reassuringly. He ran you through the first song the most so you understood you weren't actually fighting, that he had no plans of hitting you.

* * *

 **[That Night...]**

This is it...

It took everything you had not to grin nervously at Mettaton as you both stood on opposite sides of the stage. Sans and Papyrus were in the back waiting for their turn, which wasn't until the end of the song. When the music began however, you allowed yourself to grin. Of course, it was your best impression of Undyne's 'I'll kick your ass!" grin.

 **Darling, I can show you where my loves hides**

 **It's a Heart. Beat.**

 **On a Hard. Drive.**

Your grin widened as Mettaton began the attacks, your soul revealing itself as the familiar options appeared before you.

 **Yeah, I'm dancing with your soul in my sights**

 **It's a Show. Down.**

 **In the Spot. Light.**

Dodge. Pose. Repeat. Each dodge brought you closer to closer to Mettaton as he 'refused' to back down.

 **Honey, glamour's got me out of my mind**

Face to screen with Mettaton,

 **Like a kill. Switch.**

Next to Mettaton as he faked moving to grab you.

 **On my back. Side.**

Flip. Boom. The grin falls as you pretend to be frozen in fear. Who knew being used to wearing masks around people was actually useful for other things?

 **And the camera's got you frozen in time.**

 **Like a save. State.**

 **In a game. File.**

Your grin turns defiant as it returns, Mettaton's 'attacks' forcing you to dodge in rhythm with the music.

 **I'm dreaming like no Dreemurr ever could**

 **There's my name! Up in lights!**

 **Fifteen minutes won't suffice, baby!**

 **I'm sorry but it's for the greater good**

 **Raise the stakes! Pick a fight!**

 **And these ratings might ignite, baby!**

You start fighting back, the fake attacks more like a dance meant to force each other to move as you go back and forth.

 **You got a lot of nerve my friend**

 **What day and age you think we're living in?**

 **You've got a lot to learn human**

 **Did you really think the doc was in?**

A busy signal as you cast your phone away, barely catching Undyne hidden in the crowd catching the abandoned electronic.

 **Darling, I can show you where my loves hides**

 **It's a Heart. Beat.**

 **On a Hard. Drive.**

 **Yeah, I'm dancing with your soul in my sights**

 **It's a Show. Down.**

 **In the Spot. Light.**

 **Honey, glamour's got me out of my mind**

 **Like a kill. Switch.**

 **On my back. Side.**

You launch after the switch again, but Mettaton catches your wrist this time and 'forces' you to dance with him, seemingly drawing out the fight before he kills the human.

 **And the camera's got you frozen in time.**

 **Like a save. State.**

 **In a game. File.**

Pretending to struggle for freedom as you dance in sync with Mettaton.

 **Electronic Personality**

 **Persona Fabulosity**

 **With romance, bloodshed, and intrigue!**

 **Give the people what they need!**

You let a cry escape your lips as Mettaton casts you away, biting a ketchup pack inside your mouth as you pretend to spit up blood, posing before you're forced to dodge once again.

 **A star! For humanity!**

 **My face! On a million screen!**

Turn around. Run past him.

 **Now turn your heel but don't you flee**

 **Who needs arms with legs like these**

Mettaton folds his arms behind his back as he cuts you off with a kick, all of his dancing now solely focused around his legs.

 **Get a loud of my sequins**

 **Strut my stuff, you know I'm glammorin'**

 **You're gonna go to the dungeon**

 **Do you really think that I won't win?!**

Oh Mettaton was such a ham...You sneered as you dodged a kick and accidentally stepped right into a trap, a cage springing around you.

 **Darling, I can show you where my loves hides**

 **It's a Heart. Beat.**

 **On a Hard. Drive.**

 **Yeah, I'm dancing with your soul in my sights**

 **It's a Show. Down.**

 **In the Spot. Light.**

 **Honey, glamour's got me out of my mind**

 **Like a kill. Switch.**

 **On my back. Side.**

 **It's a Heart. Beat.**

 **On a Hard. Drive. [x4]**

"Thank you, darlings!" Mettaton yelled to the crowd when his song ended, walking towards your cage as you looked towards the rating monitor. So close... "Now, I do hope you don't think the show is over," he teased as he opened the cage and pulled you up next to him, "Because my darling little Frisk and I have much more planned for you with the help of a few of our friends!"

You hide slightly behind Mettaton when the crowd began whispering, a blush crossing your cheeks when you hear the sound of the ratings going up again.

"Now, Frisk? What would you like to see happen tonight?" Mettaton smiled as he gently pushed you forward. You knew you weren't exactly following script anymore as your blush grew. Without the music your nerves were back in full force.

"U...Um," you stuttered slightly, looking at the camera shyly, "To...reach the viewer milestone."

Mettaton chuckled as you instantly hid completely behind him, "Well, darlings? What do you say? Can we meet my little darling's goal?"

You didn't even have to see his face to know he was winking. There was a loud roar from the crowd for several minutes until music started playing again, Sans and Papyrus both walking up onto the stage as your grin returned in full force. It figures they would pick this song.

Drop.

Pop.

Candy.

* * *

 **Author's Note: The song used at the end is "Hard Drive" by Griffinilla**

 **"HARD DRIVE" - UNDERTALE METTATON SONG | by Griffinilla**


	4. Shattered To Mend

**Chapter 4: Shattered To Mend**

" _Frisk? What are you doing here?"_

…

 _Huh?_

" _Who are you?" you wonder, trying to find the source of the voice._

 _It sounded familiar but oh so different than any voice you had heard before._

 _"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess we haven't really met before. The one you met was Chara," the voice hummed thoughtfully._

 _"Asriel?" you questioned, covering your eyes as light suddenly flooded the area._

 _"Oh, sorry again, but yes, I am Asriel," they replied as you finally found the source of the sound. Asriel...actually looked a lot older than you had expected._

 _He had white fur just like Toriel, but he had black streaks that started under the inner corner of his eye and followed his eye until it went all the way down his cheeks. He also had two white-gray horns above his floppy white ears and he seemed to be just a little taller than Toriel._

" _So, where is this?" you wonder, looking around at the field of yellow flowers._

 _"My soul," he replies calmly, "You really should leave before Chara discovers you."_

 _"Chara's the one person I actually don't have a problem hitting," you chuckled, raising your hands as Asriel glares at you, "Don't give me that look. You're already aware that Chara used you."_

 _"What can I do about it though?" Asriel sighs, though you can tell he still desperately wants you to leave._

" _Fight back?" You shrug as if it was the obvious option, "There has to be something that would make you be willing to take your control back."_

 _"You don't get it, Chara was family," Asriel protests, starting to get annoyed with you._

 _"Do you know how long it took me to realize family doesn't do what Chara is doing to you?" you growl, "Chara's using you! They've been using you! Stop hiding behind this flowery field and look at the chains you've placed around yourself!"_

 _Your eyes widen as reality seems to shatter, Asriel staring in shock at the chains now wrapped around him. The field of flowers had shattered away to leave behind what appeared to be the remnants of a cell._

 _"What...Just happened?" you wondered in confusion._

 _"You," Asriel seemed to choke on the words, "You shattered Chara's illusion, but...how?"_

 _"I'll let you know when I figure that out," you snorted, gasping as you suddenly felt something grabbing hold of your throat. Where was it though?_

" _They know you're here!" Asriel panicked, "You have to leave!"_

 _Great idea, only, you had no idea **how** to leave his soul, and the lack of oxygen wasn't helping matters._

 _"Chara!" Asriel screamed, reaching his hand towards you. "Let. Them! GO!"_

 _Then, something shoved against you and just as quickly as the hold on your throat vanished, the world plunged into darkness._

"Asriel!" you shriek as you bolt upright, looking around confusedly as everyone around you shoots up in panic.

"Frisk?" Alphys asked gently, laying a hand on your shoulder.

"But...Asriel was," you mutter in confusion, reaching for your throat and wincing as your throat stings at the touch of your hand, "Chara...What...Happened?" Everyone jumped as something in Sans' hoodie began to beep rapidly.

"Gaster! Gaster slow down!" Sans seemingly called to thin air as he pulled the 'Void Phone' out of his pocket, looking over the rapidly increasing text. "Frisk...What did you dream about last night?" Sans asked gently as Alphys was looking over your bruised throat.

"I...Met Asriel last night," you muttered, your throat aching with every word, "In a dream. He said I was...In his soul."

"That wasn't a dream, kiddo," Sans sighed, running a hand over his skull, "You really were in his soul. Gaster says Asriel's powers, when he was just starting to discover them, was largely based around dreams. His dreams could become reality or he could force others into his own dreams and hurt them there. After he absorbed Chara, he gained attacks that only worked in a waking world. Gaster thinks Asriel accidentally pulled you into his soul, as Asriel himself is kept in a constant 'stasis' while Chara runs free. His soul itself has been put to sleep."

"Then Asriel...?" Mettaton didn't dare to finish the sentence as you glared at him.

"N...No," you winced again, "Chara discovered me. A...Asriel...pushed...me out...a..away from Ch...Chara."

"He rebelled against Chara?" Sans questioned, watching as you nodded and he looked down at the phone once more, "That explains what Gaster's been seeing. Flowey seems to be...Fighting with himself, mumbling words that contradict themselves. He thinks you must has woken Asriel up."

You could only raise a brow as Papyrus put a hand over your mouth to stop you from talking anymore, apparently tired of you forcing yourself to talk.

"No more talking until this bruise is healed, unless it's an emergency," Alphys said with a finality that told you that you wouldn't win this argument.

"So what do we do now? Are we still going to see...Asgore?" Undyne wondered, and you could only smile reassuringly at her.

She still wasn't the most confident about the upcoming meeting.

"Maybe we should wait," Mettaton began, Papyrus grabbing your head as you shook it rapidly.

Oooow, that hurt.

"I DO NOT THINK THE HUMAN IS WILLING TO WAIT ANYMORE!" Papyrus declared releasing your head as you grinned. At least someone understood how badly you wanted to get going already!

"Alright, alright, but not without eating first," Undyne sighed as she moved into the kitchen, Papyrus quickly following. You went to go after them, but your legs gave out from under you as Mettaton caught you.

"It seems that our little dancer's still worn out from their big debut," he chuckled, picking you up and carrying you over to the table. You weren't going to bother resisting, you actually did still feel tired.

"Here," Undyne said as she laid the phone you had cast away during the concert in front of you. You quickly took the phone, tapping away on the screen.

"Hm?" Sans hummed as he came over to the table, pulling his actual phone out of his pocket as he looked at your text, "You want to go to the ruins? Why?"

More tapping.

"O...Oh. Sure kid, but I don't know how cooperative she'll be," he smiled faintly, blushing as you sent him another text, "I am not nervous!"

"NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT, BROTHER?" Papyrus wondered, looking over at his brother as Undyne started flipping all of the grilled cheese sandwiches onto plates.

"The kid wants to go to the Ruin door back in Snowdin," he explains.

"The Ruins? What's all the way back there?" Alphys wondered, taking your sandwiches and cutting them into small pieces before returning them to you, much to your annoyance.

"Toriel, Frisk's MOMster," Sans grinned as you rolled your eyes with a grin. You almost started laughing when Papyrus shrieked his distaste, but the pain in your throat kept the sound from coming out.

"How do you plan on getting there, darling?" Mettaton wondered, "It would take a long time to simply walk there."

"I know a shortcut," Sans grinned, starting to eat his own sandwiches, "Don't worry. I'll have the kid back by tomorrow at the latest. Depends on how stubborn they decide to be."

You blushed as everyone laughed at the comment, shooting a half-hearted glare towards Sans. It wasn't your fault you were bull headed. Really it wasn't.

After breakfast, and several promises that Sans wouldn't let you walk or talk, Sans took you back to the door you had come through so long ago. He kept you suspended in the air with his magic as he walked up to the door and knocked.

"Knock knock," he called drifting you closer as he waited. You tapped his arm and pointed at the ground, sighing silently when he shook his head. "No way baby bones, the others will have my head, literally," he chuckled, ruffling your hair slightly. You huffed, shifting just enough to look at the door as you took out your phone and started tapping away again.

 _"What if she doesn't want me anymore? She told me not to come back..."_

"I doubt that, baby bones. The way you talk about her, I'd be shocked if she didn't smother you the instant she saw you," he smiled, turning and knocking louder on the door.

 _"Can I...please?"_

Sans looked between you and the door for several moments, sighing and taking you into his arms so that you were right next to the door, "Knock yourself out."

"M...MOM!" you yelled, banging on the door as loud as you could. Please let her hear...Please...Let her hear your calls. "MOM!" you try again, grabbing your throat with a silent scream as the bruise protested loudly.

"Okay, baby bones, that's enough," Sans sighs, pulling you away from the door as he uses some of his magic to help sooth your aching throat.

"D...Don't heal it! I...I need Asriel to see it."

"I know, baby bones. Don't think I didn't notice your magic pushing mine away this morning," he smiled gently, both of your heads snapping towards the door as you both hear a click.

"F...Frisk?" you hear Toriel call as the door opens slightly.

"Nice to know I've been telling jokes with the queen," Sans chuckled, carrying you into view.

"Sans?" Toriel muttered in confusion, the door swinging open when she finally sees you, "WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"They're okay, Tori," Sans quickly assured, "They've just got a sore throat."

"Oh my poor child," she sighed with worry, moving off to the side, "Please, come in."

Sans nodded as he carried you into the door, making you blink as he silently holds you up to Toriel. She pauses for a moment before she takes you into her arms, and you're instantly crying as you wrap your arms around her neck. You had missed her so badly...

"Shhh, my child. I am here," she soothes as she carries you through the tunnel, "So, what brings you two here?"

"You, actually," Sans chuckles, "Frisk wants you to come home with us."

"Wh...What?" Toriel stutters and you slightly tighten your hold around her.

"We're going to meet Asgore," Sans explains, scratching the back of his skull nervously, "Just to talk to him. The kid's found their magic, they can help break the barrier without violence. They just don't want to do it without their mom."

You smiled a bit warily as you released Toriel's neck, showing her your hands and watching as she instantly started looking for dust.

"N...Not a o...one," you forced out, wincing as it still hurt from the screaming, worse than it had before.

"Shh, do not force yourself, my child," she smiles, "But I am very proud of you." She doesn't say another word until you reach the house, "Why do you want me there?" You sighed quietly as you took out your phone and started texting Sans.

"Okay, kiddo. Tori, I'm just going to read right from what the kid's saying," Sans sighed, looking down at his phone, "Never slept through the night here...I heard you sleep talking every night...You miss Asgore, even if you pretend you don't...You need to face him, but...I need your help with something else too...Asriel's alive...Chara has him trapped, but he's alive...I need to convince him to take control back...Gaster already said I woke him up...I just need to give him a reason to fight...Mom...You could very well be that reason he needs."

"A...Asriel is," Toriel gasped, and you felt her hold on you tighten almost painfully.

"He's alive. He accidentally brought Frisk into his soul last night," Sans explained gently, "That's why the kid can't talk. When they broke Asriel out of some kind of 'stasis,' Chara discovered them and tried to...remove the problem."

For a long moment, you thought Toriel was going to have a breakdown until she took a deep breath, and you saw an expression you had never expected cross her face. Rage. Pure, unfiltered rage.

"Very well," she said, shifting you so she could hold onto you with one arm and walking over to Sans, "I will go with you then...For the sake of my _children."_

"Come on, I know a shortcut," Sans smiled a bit warily as he took Toriel's hand, "Keep ahold of the kid. Even with the tracer spell it took me awhile to find them last time they fell through here accidentally."

Well, that explained why you were never able to sneak up on Sans. Wonder if Papyrus had any part in that? You never managed to sneak up on him unless he let you.

Moments later, you were all inside Mettaton's suite, and your head was reeling.

"Lemme see the kid," Sans chuckled a bit tiredly, holding out his arms as Toriel reluctantly passed you back, "They're fine. Shortcuts just...disorient them for a bit on the return trip."

You closed your eyes, leaning into Sans' hand as he used his magic to help calm your reeling senses. "WHY IS THERE A CLONE OF ASGORE ON THE BED!?" Papyrus yelled.

"That's not an Asgore clone, you numb skull," Undyne snorted, "That's Queen Toriel." The shade of orange that Papyrus turned was hilarious, but you were still feeling too sick to laugh about it.

"APPOLOGIES!" he cried, bowing deeply.

"It's quiet alright," Toriel laughed, "You must be Papyrus, the 'coolest brother ever' that I've heard so much about."

"INDEED! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NO ONE IS COOLER THAN ME!" he grinned triumphantly, Sans chuckled quietly as his brother boosted his own ego again.

"Queen Toriel, you are the one Frisk calls mom?" Undyne asked calmly, watching you carefully.

"I am," she replies calmly, "And I am glad to see they have made so many friends."

"So, now that everyone's here, what's the plan?" Mettaton finally asked, pointing nonchalantly at you, "We can't go much of anywhere until poor Frisk gets their barrings."

"No, we can, I just gotta be the one to carry the kid," Sans spoke up, slowly lifting you into he arms and standing, "My magic's too intertwined with theirs right now. Stopping would make it worse."

"Intertwined?" Alphys wondered, everyone packing up a few last minute supplies.

"I've taken them to Grillby's a couple times for lessons. My shortcuts cause them to become a bit...unstable. I'm using my magic to stabilize theirs."

"Wouldn't it be faster for them to just...expel the magic for a time?" Toriel wondered quietly. Asriel used to get sick as a child when his magic was just beginning to show, he usually felt better after he expelled the excess energy.

"The kid can't use their magic to attack," Undyne explained, stuffing a container full of snacks into her bag. Sometimes you swore she thought you were going to starve if she didn't bring three days worth of food with her.

"They _can't_?" Toriel wondered, stressing the last word.

"They really can't," Alphys took over, "Frisk tried to use an attack before, their magic wouldn't respond. It only responds to healing and defensive spells. No worries though, they know how to use their shield to strengthen the defensive spells."

Speaking of your shield...Where was it? You haven't worn it since Undyne gave it to you. Mind you, there really was no need to, you haven't been in a fight since before then either.

"I HAVE IT!" Papyrus called, waving your shield around as he saw you looking around trying to find it. It was weird how they always seemed to know exactly what you were looking for.

"Are we ready then?" Undyne wondered from the door, her spear in hand. Everyone nodded as all of you filed out of the room and down into the main lobby, only to be swarmed by Mettaton's fans.

"Look! There's the human!" one of them cried. If Sans wasn't basically numbing most of your senses, you were pretty sure the volume of the crowd would be killing your head.

"ENOUGH!" Mettaton shouted, using his speaker to drown out the crowd, "Darlings, I'm afraid we are terribly busy right now, and I understand you are all very excited to meet my little darling, but you must have patience. Please, darlings, I promise we will answer all of your questions and sign anything...within reason once we return, but until then I must ask that you control yourselves and stop crowding my poor little darling!" You smiled faintly when the crowd parted and Mettaton lead the way out of the resort.

"The burdens of fame," Mettaton sighed when you were finally free of the crowd, "Are you alright Frisk?"

You grinned and gave a thumbs up, gasping as your head lulled back when Sans finally released the hold his magic had on you.

"FRISK!?" Mettaton gasped, sighing in relief when you gave him another thumbs up.

"Sorry about that, baby bones," Sans chuckled, looking at Mettaton as everyone started walking towards the elevator, "It's a momentary shock to their system when I release their magic."

You tugged on Sans' sleeve once the first group was loaded into the elevator, everyone having decided splitting into groups of two would be easier on both the machine and Sans.

"Hm? Wanna try walking now, baby bones?" he asked, carefully setting you on your feet as you nodded, "Okay then."

It takes you a moment to completely gain your balance, but you grin triumphantly when you finally manage to stand on your own again. Of course, Toriel and Papyrus both take this chance to take your hands, leading you out of the elevator when it reaches the top as Sans follows close behind.

"You guys go on ahead, we'll been you on the other side of the next elevator," Sans called, Toriel and Papyrus nodding as they lead you away.

You tug lightly on Papyrus's hand as the three of you enter the next elevator.

"WHAT IS IT FRISK?" he wonders as he looks down at you. You take a moment to get your phone and text him.

 _"Why is everything so...colorless?"_

"AH...QUEEN TORIEL...PERHAPS YOU SHOULD BE THE ONE TO ANSWER THIS ONE! THE HUMAN WISHES TO KNOW WHY EVERYTHING IS GRAY!" Papyrus turned towards Toriel as he spoke, and you could tell he was a little nervous about redirecting the question towards her.

"You wish to know why everything is so gray?" she asked, a little shocked as you nod nervously, "It happened when Asriel...died. The happiness and joy faded from the walls of New Home, along with the hopes and dreams of all of the Underground. Asriel and Chara were the light in our dark times, but...It all disappeared with them."

You blinked owlishly at her for a moment before a grin split your face.

"UNDYNE HAS BEEN A BAD INFLUENCE ON YOU HUMAN!" Papyrus gawked, but you were too busy silently cheering to yourself to really care.

 _"I figured it out! The attack half of Asriel's powers! The reason he won't finish absorbing Chara! It's hope!"_

"Hope?" Toriel wondered, leading you out of the elevator when it finally reached the top.

 _"He's still holding onto hope that Chara can be saved, that Chara was actually a good person!"_

You grin fell away as annoyance took over. Oh you were going to kick that goat's stubborn ass if it was the last thing you did.

"UNDYNE HAS BEEN A **VERY** BAD INFLUENCE!" Papyrus interrupted your thoughts, and you couldn't stop yourself anymore, you busted out laughing despite your throat's protests.

"Papyrus! What did you do!" Undyne roared the instant the elevator dinged open, running after the slightly taller skeleton as he ran away.

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS DID NOTHING! THE HUMAN MERELY STARTED LAUGHING! IT IS UNDYNE WHO HAS BEEN THE BAD INFLUENCE!" Papyrus protested loudly.

If Asgore wasn't aware you were on your way by now, he had to be deaf. Sans froze the two of them in air until you finally managed to calm your laughter, tears in your eyes from both the pain and the laughter. Alphys handed you a bottle of water as Toriel began scolding the suspended pair.

It was several minutes before you all started on your way again, Toriel having been unrelenting in her scolding until you had grabbed her sleeve and pretended to try to pull her. You were all walking through a place Sans told you was called "Judgement Hall" now. You didn't even bother to ask when you caught a glimpse of Sans' proud grin and felt his magic momentarily brush over you. Why did this place give you an odd feeling that Sans was almost always stood here, waiting to be the last judgment for any human stupid enough to gain Levels Of ViolencE?

It was only a few minutes before you all arrived at the throne room and you finally got your first look at Asgore.

"...Fluffy," you said aloud, smiling sheepishly as Toriel turned her scolding glare towards you.

"Oh come on, Tori, you can let that one slide," Sans chuckled, "Every kid says that when they see King Fluffybuns."

You almost started laughing again when you saw Toriel blush so hard it showed through her fur, but Asgore whirling around in shock was enough to keep your mind on the situation at hand.

This was going to be hard...

Considering you couldn't talk without being in pain...

You were at least trying to save that for Asriel...Speaking of which...O...Oh shit...Your eyes widened as you whirled towards Sans and shook him panickedly, tapping your wrist rapidly when he turned his attention towards you. You really didn't want to interrupt the silent conversation Toriel and Asgore seemed to be having, but you were running out of time. You weren't entirely sure how but there was a faint burning in your soul screaming at you that something dangerous was coming.

"Tori, the kid says we don't have time," Sans said quickly, snapping the pair out of their conversation.

"Asgore, this child doesn't want to fight," Toriel quickly began, glancing down at you as you were looking around, "They want to help you break the barrier...Without it costing their life and...They want...They want to help Asriel. He's alive, Gori...He's alive."

"Asriel is...alive?" Asgore repeated quietly. "Sort of," Alphys quickly began to explain, "He's a half soul, trapped in the form of a yellow flower...The one I used for those...Experiments, but we think we came up with a way to undo the damage...If he completely absorbs Chara's soul."

"Wherein lies the hard part," you ground out, "He's got this stupid hope that Chara's got good inside them. They're holding his soul hostage...Oh shit...Sans...There's six other human souls around here somewhere, isn't there?"

"Yeah, why, kiddo?" Sans wondered.

"They're gone," Asgore replied after a moment, "I no longer sense them."

You barely saw your soul appear over your chest it turned blue and everyone scrambled away, Sans flinging you inches from hitting the wall as a rainbow colored laser hit the ground where you had been moments before.

" **So nice of you to wake Asriel, little Frisk** ," a distorted voice laughed, "I **t made returning to our old form** _ **so**_ **much easier. I would have needed all the souls in the underground if he hadn't woken up!** "

"Oh, so you're openly chaining him now?" you grinned, Sans flinging you out of the way of another attack, "You know, I never took you for a chicken, hiding like this."

Man it hurt to talk, but you were getting the result you were looking for. Chara came into view and you grit your teeth when you saw the form was Asriel's transformed body. His eyes were a furious blood red, but you could faintly see white mixed in. Bastard was making Asriel watch.

"Do you believe me now, Asriel?" you called, hitting your act button and selecting HOPE with a prayer it would do something.

 _ **You kept holding on. DAMAGE reduced!**_

So Asriel really was awake in there. You grinned, Undyne finally seeming to notice why Papyrus always called her a bad influence.

"I really am rubbing off on the kid," she laughed, grinning as a green barrier reflected "Chara's" Star Blazing attack that was aimed for her. Nothing could attack her from the front, and Asgore stood at her back.

"ASRIEL! I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE IN THERE!" you screech, Chara's attention snapping back to you as you winced, resting your hand under your bruise, "Look what they did to me, Asriel! They tried to kill me for **waking you up**! Are you really going to let **CHARA KILL YOUR PARENTS!?** " Sans had to fling you out of the way Shocker Breaker after that, your mind temporarily too focused on your screaming throat as you kept forcing yourself to scream. You so weren't going to be able to talk after this.

"Papyrus! Blasters!" Sans called as he snapped the fingers of his right hand, three large dragon skulls appearing and instantly blasting a hole in the wall as two more, slightly spikier skulls appeared.

Well, that explained the orange and blue light you had seen at the end of the dummy fight...

...Man you really needed to stay focus...

You barely had time to see Chara/Asriel starting to claw at themselves as the two seemed to struggle for control of each other before you were sat on one of the skulls and Toriel lead the charge out of the throne room...To a pitch black room.

"Where are we now?" you asked, trying not to scream at your loudly protesting throat.

"The barrier," Asgore explained, watching the entrance as everyone watched different directions, "There's more room here."

"Hope," you ground out again, feeling the burning starting to return, you didn't have time to explain, "Asriel responds to hope."

"Kid, stop talking for a bit," Sans grinned, giving you a thumbs up just as you all had to scramble out of the way of another Shocker Breaker.

"Asriel, huh?" Undyne laughed, dodging the lightning as she finally located a clawed up Chara/Asriel, " **Hope** you don't mind me asking, but how wimpy can you be? Letting this little snot have control."

"Darling, over here!" Mettaton called, switching their focus over to him and dodging a Chaos Buster, "Oh darling, no no no. How could I let you scuff my beautiful face? My darling fans are still **hoping** for an encore!"

…They were doing this the stupidest way possible, weren't they?

"I'M JUST **HOPING** SANS DOESN'T MAKE ANOTHER STUPID PUN OUT OF THIS!" Papyrus screamed, his blasters destroying the stars that were flying towards him.

Yes, yes they were...

" **Hope** you're ready, Pap! I got a skele-ton of'em!" Sans grinned, dodging another Shocker Breaker as his blasters kept you safe and out of harm's way. You wanted to laugh when you saw Chara becoming angrier and angrier, they were actually falling for this stupid stunt.

"Asriel," Toriel called, taking her turn and she smiled warmly, easily dodging the weakening attacks, "I **hope** you can forgive me. I should have taken better care of you, both of you."

"I **hope** you can forgive me as well, my precious children," Asgore called, easily dodging Chara's Chaos Blaster. You could only grin as you caught a glimpse of Chara/Asriel's eyes.

Asriel was gaining control.

"I **hope** you can forgive me for doing this to you," Alphys called, dodging the hail of Fire Magic thrown her way.

When Sans shot you a thumbs up while Chara couldn't see him, you knew it was your turn again.

" **ASRIEL!** " You screamed, Sans' blasters moving you out of the way of Chara's Shocker Breaker II.

Man were they pissed now.

"Can't you hear it?!" You called again, Chara barely being able to focus on you as everyone ran past him, pulling his clothes in mock attacks as they passed, " **YOU** were the underground's hope! It's about time you stopped dreaming and found your own **hope** again! Stop clinging to Chara's hope that the world will die, THAT YOUR PARENTS WILL DIE!"

You couldn't stop the pained whimper that passed your lips as Chara whirled on you again.

" **Does it hurt?** " Chara laughed, firing another round of Shocker Breaker II at you, " **I hope so. I** _ **did**_ **do my best to lace some of** _ **Asriel's**_ **magic into it before he cast you away.** "

Their annoyance only grew as you grinned, one of their eyes had completely changed color and Chara was too pissed at all of you to notice.

"Oh I wouldn't say it hurts," you laughed, forcing yourself to ignore the pain like you used to, "It just tickles."

Hopefully the others caught on to the change in plans. Asriel was now fighting for control without anymore pushes, now you just had to keep Chara angry and distracted.

"Yeah, what do you call these things? Pea shooters?" Undyne laughed as her shielding magic blocked another round of Chaos Blasters, "They couldn't hurt a fly."

" _Sans_ ," you hissed quietly while Chara was distracted, gaining his attention as he kept an eye on Chara, " _Put me down_." You rolled your eyes when he paused just long enough to give you a "are you stupid" look. " _Just do it_ ," you stress, pulling your shield off of your back and holding it in front of you.

"THIS FIGHT IS NOT EVEN WORTHY OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS'S TIME!" Papyrus took his swing, grabbing onto his blasters as they moved both him and Toriel out of the way of Galacta Blazing.

You really had to talk to Asriel about some of these attack names when this was over...

"There is no way my fans would ever watch this, it's so...boring," Mettaton huffed, easily dodging a Chaos Slicer, "This would never make for good entertainment."

"Tell me about it," Alphys snorted, Undyne running in front of her to block another wave of Fire Magic, "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie Two was better than this."

"Ouch, Alphys," Sans laughed, easily dodging a Chaos Slicer, "That sent chills down my **spine**."

"Chara, I taught you better than this," Toriel scolded, everyone having to run to avoid Star Blazing.

"Now, now Tori. It's not their fault their attacks are so...unimaginative," Asgore hummed, everyone running again to avoid Star Blazing once more.

Honestly, you had no idea what ticked Chara off about that one, but it still worked.

"My turn again?" you hummed as Chara whirled on you, your body freezing in place as all their anger focused on you, " **Chaining** me into place now? Wow, Chara, I thought you were better than that. Guess I really am glad I decided **not to become a pathetic coward like you**."

From the pull on your soul you know Sans tried to pull you away, but Chara had you locked into place with some kind of attack called 'Angel of Death.' Thankfully, Chara didn't have enough control left to lock down your magic that you were currently channeling into your shield to strengthen your own Protection spell. Both of his eyes were almost completely black with white irises now, only a little bit of red remained. Chara didn't even pay attention to the others anymore as he aimed every spell he had in your direction.

"ASRIEL DREEMURR WAKE UP!" You screeched as your spell was rapidly starting to crack, "THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A LAZY BONES!" You gasped when a clawed hand broke through your shield and gripped you around your throat.

"FRISK!" everyone called, but Chara changed his magic to lock them into place. You couldn't do much with a decreasing supply of oxygen.

" **Asriel's not here, Frisk. It's just you and me** ," Chara growled, grinning as tears of pain started forming in your eyes as Chara began squeezing your throat tighter.

"As...ri...el," you gasped out, trying to pry the hands away as you looked directly at the untainted eye.

Then, just like that, you were dropped to the ground and surrounded by everyone, Toriel's magic quickly caressing your throat as you gasped for air. It felt a little weird that it wasn't Sans' magic, guess you were just used to it.

" **Chara! You can't keep doing this**!" Asriel screamed, gripping his head and stumbling away from all of you.

" **You choose NOW to fight back?! We're so close to our goals!** " Chara growled, trying to aim a spell towards you but was unable to force the magic to obey,

" **You can't back out now!** "

" **Yes. I. CAN!** " Asriel roared, his magic flaring around him wildly, " **Frisk was right, weren't they? You just want to kill everyone! Even mom and dad!** "

" **SO WHAT?! IT'S NOT LIKE YOU ACTUALLY CARE** ," Chara laughed, trying to reign the magic into an attack, " **You were so willing to go along with my plan, after all. To kill myself so you could go to the surface and gather six other souls, right? Please, I just wanted the power to kill everything.** "

"Nail in the coffin," Alphys sighed, carefully watching the pair arguing over one body. Toriel was holding you to her chest she continued healing your aching throat, some of her panic having faded when you finally started breathing normally again. She couldn't undo the magic that still made it hurt, but she was at least able to numb the pain.

You weren't planning on talking anytime soon after this...

" **No! What are you doing! You can't do this! We were so close!** " Chara screamed, the magic finally seeming to focus in on something.

" **I'm doing what I should have done to start with. Goodbye, Chara,** " Asriel sighed, his magic isolating Chara's fragmented soul away from his. It seemed to...attack Chara's fragmented soul until it broke apart and became apart of his magic.

"As...ri...el?" you ground out quietly as you watched the magic fade away.

"It's me," Asriel smiled apologetically, if a bit sadly, "Just me."

You didn't miss Sans brushing his magic over Asriel before he gave a thumbs up again.

"Stay there, Frisk," Asriel called when you tried to get away from Toriel to go after him as he turned away from everyone, "I have all seven souls right now, right? You've done enough, I'll handle this part. It's the...least I can do for all the trouble we caused."

You squinted when everything flashed a blinding white, a shattering sound echoing around you before the light faded until it was just bright enough to see. The barrier was shattered.

"Asriel Dreemurr, there will be no snail pie for you tonight if you cast those souls away," Toriel scolded, causing Asriel to look back in shock.

"That would make things easier," Sans hummed, waving a vial of red liquid, "Less chance of this failing, and those souls are all from people just like Chara. No one's going to miss them."

You finally managed to get Toriel to let go of you as you stand up, taking the vial from Sans and holding it out to Asriel with a cheesy grin.

"Better do as the kid says, punk," Undyne grinned, folding her arms, "They won't change their mind once it's set on something, and they decided a long time ago that no monster was being left behind."

Asriel looked hesitant a moment longer before he nodded slowly, walking over and taking the vial. He looked at it for a moment before he loosely gripped your throat, Sans holding your shoulders to keep you from stumbling away. He smiled apologetically as you felt a pressure release from your throat, a quiet gasp passing your lips as the constant burning in your soul finally vanished. So that's what it was...His own magic had been forcing you soul to react to him.

"St...Star...tled me," you winced, holding your throat as Asriel released it. It still hurt like hell to talk, but at least now it wasn't worsening with every word.

"Sorry," Asriel smiled, popping the cork out of the vial and downing the contents. He gritted his teeth as he lurched forward, Sans pulling you away as he watched closely. It was only a moment, but Asriel's magic once again flared violently before it settled finally, Asriel looking up with a pained grin.

"How ya feel?" Alphys wondered, eyeing Asriel warily. She had Sans and Gaster's help this time, but she was still scared something was going to go terribly wrong.

"Tired, but better than I've felt in a long time," he smiled warily. Your jaw dropped a bit when he summoned his magic to the surface and you saw his soul. It was multicolored...One soul fused together with parts of different souls.

"S...Sans...Where's G...Gaster?" you ground again, blinking when Asriel covered your mouth.

"Shut. Up," he sighed, glaring tiredly down at you, "You're in pain. Just give it up already. You can talk after your throat's healed."

Really? He was giving you the lecture now?

You just huffed against his hand as you glared back at him, pretending you didn't hear the others laughing.

"Gaster?" Sans grinned, holding his phone to his ear hole, "Give me a sec."

You didn't have time to get Sans' attention before he disappeared through one of his shortcuts. Although, you understood why when he returned moments later with a slightly disoriented Gaster at his side.

You didn't really give Gaster a chance to orient himself before you broke away from Asriel and tackled the taller skeleton in a hug.

"Your theory worked, baby bones," Sans chuckled. "It was like walking through a door."

"Come to think of it, Sans," Alphys began, scratching her head, "If Gaster was trapped in a room surrounded by the barrier, how did you get through?"

"I have a _skeleton key_ ," Sans winked. You just grinned and rolled your eyes as everyone except Papyrus and Alphys laughed.

Alphys was going on a rant about how it was an illogical answer, and Mettaton groaned as he walked towards Undyne.

"Darling, I need to borrow you for a moment," he sighed, grabbing Undyne by the back of her head and whirling Alphys around.

...Asriel smacked his hand back over your mouth before you could burst out laughing when Mettaton forced Undyne to kiss Alphys.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one that's been waiting for these two to get their heads out of their asses," Mettaton groaned, grinning when almost everyone gave a thumbs up in agreement.

"SHUT UP!" Undyne roared as she broke away from Alphys, the shock finally faded, but no one failed to notice the possessive grip she now had on Alphys's shoulder.

"So what now?" Toriel hummed softly, giggling when she noticed Asriel had picked you up and was holding his hand over your mouth again.

He had apparently decided it was his turn to carry the human...

"I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather go up to the surface, claim enough territory for everyone, and put the barrier back up," Sans sighed, scratching his cheekbone slightly, "I'm pretty sure we've **all** had our fill of corrupted humans."

"What do you think, Frisk?" Toriel asked, turning her attention towards you as you finally managed to get enough freedom from Asriel to get your phone out of your pocket.

It was like having a fluffy Sans around the way Asriel was acting.

 _"I don't want to go back to the humans, but I still want everyone to be able to live on the surface like they wanted."_

"Well, that settles it then," Asgore smiled, looking warily down at Toriel, "What do you say, dear?" "You have a long way to go before you can call me dear again," she huffed, folding her arms, "But if this is what Frisk wants then I have no objections."

After that, everyone went off to gather up their things and help others get ready to move to the surface.

 **[One Month Later...]**

You yawned as you painted a completed section of the house from atop one of Sans' blasters.

"Getting tired, baby bones?" Sans asked, painting next to you on another blaster.

You shook your head, grinning as you put the paintbrush down and signed, " _No, just bored. When does Asgore get back?_ "

"In a about fifteen minutes, why?" he smiled lightly.

" _I want to ask him to destroy the reset...,_ " you paused, huffing as you failed to remember the sign for button.

"You...You want him to destroy the reset button?" Sans gawked at you, watching as you nodded determinedly.

You really needed your cellphone...You didn't know the signs you needed for the next part, and the stupid thing was back on your bed.

"Here," Sans chuckled, tossing his phone to you with his magic keeping it from falling out of reach. You smiled sheepishly, tapping away on the device.

 _"Asriel said Asgore destroyed the MERCY for all the humans he fought personally. Personally, I don't want to reset the world, but I know you're afraid I will. If Asgore destroys it, you won't have to live in fear of it anymore."_

"You won't be able to come back if something happens though," Sans worried.

 _"You can't come back if something happens to you either, Sans. Besides, I have no problem trusting my family to keep me safe,"_ you typed out, grinning when Sans' cheekbones were dusted a light blue. Sometimes it was so easy for him to forget you no longer doubted they would keep you safe...

"Hohoho! How goes the painting?!" Asgore calls from under both you, causing you to jump and accidentally roll off the blaster.

You didn't get very far as you felt something bite your hoodie and stop your decent, looking up best you could to see the blaster Sans was sitting on holding you in its jaws by your hoodie.

"Oh dear! Frisk! Are you alright! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!" Asgore called, putting down the bags in his arms and reaching up until Sans had the blaster release you into Asgore's hold. You just grinned and gave them two thumbs up as they both sighed in relief.

"Still can't talk?" Asgore frowned slightly, causing you to sigh and shake your head.

By the time the fight had ended, Asriel's magic had done more damage to your throat than you had thought. Gaster had checked on it as soon as he had recovered from your hug, declaring that while the the external damage could be mended completely, the internal damage would have to heal mostly on its own. You didn't entirely understand it, but Gaster had been adamant that using magic would have the opposite effect. So, one month later, you still couldn't talk without being in a ridiculous amount of pain. You could breathe without pain now, but talking was still out of the question.

"Hey, Asgore. The kid had a question," Sans called as he landed to stand next to you once Asgore set you down.

"Hmm? What is it, my precious child?" he wondered, kneeling down so he was closer to your eye level.

"They want you to take away their ability to reset, like how to you stripped the humans of mercy," Sans explained, smiling a bit proudly but also a bit warily, "Said they trust their family to keep them safe."

"I...Alright, if you are absolutely sure," Asgore sighed, relenting when you instantly turned your 'puppy dog eyes' on him.

You grinned, nodding happily as you stood a bit away from Sans and called the familiar menu into view. SAVE, CONTINUE, **TRUE RESET**.

"This might hurt, my child, "Asgore explained softly standing to his full height as he pulled his weapon from his back, "This is apart of your magic, after all."

You simply grinned and nodded determinedly, doing your best to stand still and not jump in excitement like Papyrus the first time he saw the sun.

"One...Two," Asgore counted slowly as he raised his weapon up and you lost track of Sans, "THREE!" You felt the air leave your lungs as he shattered the reset button to pieces, your legs giving out as Sans wrapped his arms around your waist before you could truly collapse.

"You okay, baby bones?" he questioned worriedly.

You just grinned at both of them and gave a thumbs up with one hand while you spun the other in a circle.

"Dizzy?" Asgore chuckled, lifting you up into his arms, "Well, no more painting today then. Come, we better get home before your mom has my head for keeping both of you out here too long."

You just flashed another grin as Sans quickly fell into step next to him.

A long time ago, you would have never expected any of this. You would never have expected to find your reason to live inside a mountain filled with monsters. Yet, here you were. You had a mother and father that loved you, three crazy brothers, a lunatic piranha for an aunt, your other aunt being a completely anime nut, an uncle who ambushed you with a camera every chance he got, and another uncle that was slowly getting you over your fear of doctors.

"Frisk?" Sans wondered, looking up at you as he walked backwards.

" _I'm okay, just thinking about my crazy family,_ " you signed with another grin.

They seemed to be permanent these days.

After everyone had gone up to the surface and watched the sun set, plans to take a few miles worth of land had been set into motion. Every monster in the Underground descended the mountain and took the town you had once called home by storm. No human could escape alive or no one would be able to live in peace, not that you cared. Sans and Papyrus kept you with them during the attack, using their blasters to personally destroy every building that held the source of your worst nightmares. Of course, they had left your mother and father to Toriel and Asgore, deciding your new parents deserved the right to erase the ones that had caused you the most pain off the face of the earth.

You had never seen Toriel so pissed a day in your life...

Even Gaster had taken a sick sort of glee in leveling the hospital to the ground, personally dealing with every doctor that had ever once laid a hand on you. It had taken Sans explaining that, while Gaster was a scientist first and foremost, he had also been a doctor, for you to understand why Gaster had gotten in on the destruction. The chaotic wave of destruction, of course, hadn't been what anyone had planned when they had returned to the surface...But your town was the only one anywhere near the mountain, so the destruction had ended when the last human was killed. Only the truly corrupt souls were devoured, the monsters you called family being the ones to go through with the painful act. All the other souls were put in jars and buried in a graveyard that became the center of the massive camp grounds until everyone could build their new homes on the surface.

Now construction was well on its way, your new home taking the longest given the size of both your new family and the members that made it up. Grillby, oddly enough, had been the first to complete his bar. You and Sans had found out the next day that it was because the poor elemental had gone days without sleep because he wanted to give everyone a place out of the elements to eat. Needless to say, he had been shocked when he had woken up the next day to the place being fully stocked and furnished, along with his first customers being the entirety of the new "Royal Family." It had been during that meal that an argument over what everyone was to you had broken out, come to think of it.

" _So, if Toriel is Frisk's mom, Asgore is dad, and Asriel is their brother. What's that make the rest of us?" Undyne wondered, biting into her hamburger._

 _Your cheeks turned an embarrassing shade of red as you shoved your phone into Sans' face. He had become the designated text reader until Gaster taught you a little bit of sign language. He read the text for all of two seconds before ketchup flew out of his mouth, "Pffft!"_

 _"SANS!" Mettaton shrieked, quickly grabbing a pile of napkins and wiping himself clean._

 _"S...Sorry," Sans blushed, looking over at Papyrus, "Hey, Pap. Kid wants to know if we're their older brothers like Asriel."_

 _"I guess that makes you my sons too," Toriel teased before Papyrus had the chance to answer, causing all three of your faces to light up like a Christmas tree._

" _Oh there is no way in hell I'm being Papyrus's sister," Undyne snorted, "I call Bad-ass Aunt."_

 _"Undyne, language," Toriel huffed, going back to eating her sandwich when Undyne shot her an apologetic look._

 _"Fabulous Uncle!" Mettaton grinned once he was free of ketchup, pulling out a camera and snapping a picture of you just as you bit into your own burger. You just glared at him, knowing you couldn't get payback with your mom watching._

 _"I...I...I guess that would make m..m..me the Otaku Aunt?" Alphys stuttered._

 _You almost choked on your burger as you just managed to give her thumbs up, desperately trying not to laugh with your throat still aching and food in your mouth._

 _"What about you, Gaster?" Asriel had finally spoken up, looking over at the silent skeleton._

 _"Well...I," he began, and you instantly knew he was trying to back out gaining a family title._

 _"Whoa!" Sans cried when you almost hit him with your phone, "Kid says you're their Uncle too. No backing out."_

 _You still weren't entirely sure what color Gaster turned because he hid his face in a menu before you got a chance to see._

 _You sure found yourself one crazy family..._

"Frisk? Are you alright, my child?" Toriel called, snapping you out of your memories.

You just smiled and gave her a thumbs up as you looked around.

Undyne and Alphys were reading a manga together, Asriel was tending to the flower he had brought up from the Underground, Mettaton was chatting away on his phone to Napstablook, Papyrus was working on a jigsaw puzzle that had somehow survived, Gaster was reading another book, and Toriel was in the center of the camp cooking.

"We're home," Asgore called as everyone looked up, Toriel just rolling her eyes.

You just grinned, raising your hands to sign the first words you had learned.

 _ **"I'm home."**_


End file.
